Politically correct? Republican, Democrat docs treat patients differently

In a deeply divided political climate, party or candidate affiliation can seemingly tell a lot about a person—or even determine what they might say or how they might act. Apparently even physicians aren’t immune, according to Yale researchers, the Washington Post reported.

Republican and Democratic doctors behave differently when treating patients, the study found. Republicans were more likely to encourage “active treatment.”

The different health impacts of certain lifestyles of patients caused different concerns for physicians with different political affiliations, too. Doctors registered as Democrats tended to worry more about the risks to patients living in homes with guns. They were 66 percent more likely than their GOP counterparts to advise patients to keep firearms outside the house, though Republican doctors more often advised patients on safe storage practices. Democratic physicians were less likely to talk about potentially negative effects of marijuana, while Republican counterparts were more likely to discuss potential risks of abortion.

On the other hand, partisan differences in approaches to medicine were less significant when looking at less politically volatile subjects such as advising patients about alcohol and tobacco use, according to the Post.

The researchers matched publicly available voter registration data with surveys sent out to doctors. The physicians completed questions about how they would advise a hypothetical patient dealing with certain issues.

Check out the Washington Post to see why researchers think partisan affiliation, and not another factor, is driving this difference among some doctors. Plus, what do doctors think about the results—and what does it mean for patients?