Introduction: Patient satisfaction surveys are the largest factor in determining physician reimbursement through Medicare’s Merit Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). Many papers have demonstrated a scoring bias associated with non-modifiable patient demographics, such as gender. We performed a systemic review across multiple specialties, including Urology, to determine if patient satisfaction scores differ by gender. Methods: A focused literature search was performed using PubMed with the inclusion criteria “patient satisfaction” AND “age” AND “insurance” AND “gender”. Initially 360 papers were identified. Studies prior to 2007 and non-English studies were removed yielding 237 papers. After reviewing these and other articles using PRISMA guidelines and according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 26 articles were identified. Odds Ratios were included from each paper or were calculated using the Practical Meta-Analysis Effect Size Calculator. The Forest Plot, Heterogeneity Test, and Egger’s Test for Publication Bias Test were performed using STATA. Results: A total of 243,124 patients were included from these 26 studies identified in this systemic review. Two studies were in Urology, and the other representative studies were in other surgical specialties such as Otolaryngology, General Surgery, and Orthopedic Surgery. The Odds Ratio for women being more likely to have a higher patient satisfaction score than men was 0.98 (95% CI, 0.964 to 0.997; I2 = 87.2%; P < .001). Egger’s Test for publication bias gave a p-value of 0.295. Conclusions: Women had lower odds of submitting higher patient satisfaction scores than men. The Odds Ratio is barely significant for a difference being present in this systemic review, and therefore, the difference is likely not relevant. The Egger’s Test did not confirm any relevant bias. In our judgement, these results alleviate any concern that gender might affect patient satisfaction surveys, and therefore, physician reimbursement. SOURCE OF Funding: None.
