The results of a recent survey found that, in some circumstances, patient care can vary significantly depending on whether your doctor is registered as a Democrat or a Republican.

Yale researchers surveyed over 200 doctors on certain scenarios that may come up when discussing a patient’s health history.

For some things, like depression or alcohol abuse, the doctors’ political affiliation didn’t matter. However, for other things, it mattered quite a bit.

Take abortion. When surveyed doctors were given a scenario in which a woman presents with a history of two previous abortions, Republican doctors were twice as likely as Democratic doctors to discourage future abortions, and more than a 1/3 more likely to discuss the mental health aspects of abortion.

Recreational marijuana was another scenario that resulted in differences as between Republican and Democratic doctors. Republican doctors were 64% more likely to talk with the patient about the legality of the drug, and almost half as likely than Democratic doctors to urge the patient to cut back.

Finally, the survey found another significant difference with respect to gun storage with young children in the home. Democratic doctors were 66% more likely to urge parents not to store guns in the home, while Republican doctors talked instead about safe storage.

Doctors, it seems, are people too, with biases just like the rest of us. And you might want to know that when you first choose a doctor.

You can read an article regarding these findings here:

[Survey: Doctors’ political views may affect patient care](http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation-politics/survey-doctors-political-views-may-affect-patient-care/)