title: No physician gender difference in prescription of sick-leave certification: a retrospective study of the Skaraborg Primary Care Database.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The primary objective was to investigate how physicians' gender and level of experience affects the rate and length of sick-leave certificate prescription. The secondary objective was to study the physicians' gender and professional experience in relation to the diagnoses on the certificates.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, cross-sectional study of computerized medical records from 24 health care centres in 2005.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary care in Sweden.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary care physicians (n = 589) and patients (n = 88 780) aged 18-64 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rate and duration of sick leave certified by different categories of physicians and for different diagnoses and gender of patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sick leave was certified in 9.0% (musculoskeletal (3%) and psychiatric (2.3%) diagnoses were most common) of all contacts and the mean duration was 32.2 days. Overall there was no difference between male and female physicians in the sick-leave certification prescription rate (9.1% vs. 9.0%) or duration of sick leave (32.1 vs. 32.6 days). The duration of sick leave was associated with the physician's level of professional experience in general practice (GPs (Distriktläkare) 37, GP trainees (ST-läkare) 26, interns (AT-läkare) 20 and locum (vikarier) 19 days, p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Contrary to earlier studies we found no difference in sick-leave certification prescription rate and length between male and female physicians.
authors.affiliation: Tidan Health Care Centre, Tidan, Sweden. karin.starzmann@vgregion.se
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Starzmann
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hjerpe
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dalemo
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Björkelund
authors.forename: Kristina Bengtsson
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Boström
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002568:Certification; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058007:Physicians, Primary Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013548:Sweden; D055815:Young Adult