Gender, health and health care in general practice: a comparison between women's health care and regular health care = Sekse, gezondheid en gezondheidszorg in de huisartspraktijk: een vergelijking tussen vrouwengezondheidszorg en reguliere gezondheidszorg.

Differences in health care provision to female patients were investigated between general practitioners (GPs) providing women's health care in the Aletta practice (4 women) and GPs providing regular health care (23 women and 27 men). Women's health care is based on the following principles: 1) consideration of the patient's gender-identity and gender-roles; 2) consideration of the patient's personal and social situation; 3) to treat the patient repectfully; 4) to encourage the patient to cope with health problems and to stimulate self-responsibility; 5) avoidance of medicalization. Both these principles and doctor's gender were expected to influence women's choice of sex of GP, the composition of practice population, the type of health problems presented and services provided, and doctor-patient -communication. Also was investigated how the women's health care principles were applied. Data was collected by patient questionnaires and interviews, self-registration by GPs, and videotaped consultations. It was concluded that there are many similarities between GPs providing women's health care and regular health care, but there are also some differences. The differences are more visible between female and male GPs than between the two types of health care. The principles of women's health care are reflected in the patients' motives for choosing for the Aletta practice as well as in the GPs' practising. The most important and distinguishing aspects of women's health care are: a practice population of young, highly educated, single living and female patients who present more psychological and social problems; Aletta GPs prescribe less medicines (also applicable to other female GPs). Aletta GPs show more verbal attentiveness (showing agreement, empathy and concern, paraphrasing) and GPs look more to their patients patient-directed gaze), with aspects contribute to the quality of health care. Recommendations are given with respect to education, research and health care policy