Whether in Beijing, Ankara, Groningen or Würzburg, doctors treat patients with heart failure in remarkably similar ways. Not only are the medical procedures similar, but so are the questions doctors ask, their gestures and the way consultations unfold. This is the finding of an international study led by sociologists Anja Weiß and Tao Liu from the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE). The findings, recently published in Global Networks, are also relevant to the debate on the recognition of foreign qualifications.

The interdisciplinary research team asked 71 doctors in Beijing, Ankara, Groningen and Würzburg to treat simulated patients – actors portraying people with heart failure. The consultations were video-recorded and analysed. The simulation method is well established in medical education; it let the team directly compare how doctors approached the same medical conditions across the four locations. The researchers also examined clinical practice guidelines from different countries.

Despite differences in language, culture and healthcare systems, the doctors followed remarkably similar approaches. They even asked the same questions: How many flights of stairs can you still climb? How many pillows do you need at night to breathe comfortably?

Similarities Extend to Body Language

The similarities went far beyond these questions. Not only were medical knowledge and recommended treatments largely consistent, but the consultations also followed a similar pattern – from the initial greeting and discussion of symptoms to treatment. Even eye contact, posture and gestures showed striking similarities.

“We expected doctors at university hospitals to have similar medical knowledge. But we were surprised by how alike they were in the questions they asked and even in their gestures,” says Weiß.

There were differences, however. For certain diagnostic procedures, doctors in Würzburg preferred cardiac catheterisation, while their colleagues in Groningen and Beijing initially recommended computed tomography (CT).

What Does This Mean for Internationally Trained Professionals?

Doctors trained abroad sometimes face concerns that cultural differences could make it harder to treat patients. The study challenges such generalised assumptions.

“Our findings show that medical knowledge and professional routines are far more consistent across national borders than is often assumed,” Weiß emphasises. Reservations about foreign-trained professionals may therefore be based on misconceptions.

However, the study focused on well-equipped university hospitals and heart failure treatment. Further research is needed to establish whether the findings also apply to other areas of medicine.

* The study was conducted as part of a multi-year project on the glocalisation of medical knowledge and practice, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).