Introduction and objective:
Humanism in care is of fundamental importance in improving the level of medical services and maintaining a proper relationship between medical staff and patients, while appropriate communication is one of the determinants of increased patient satisfaction. The aim of the study is identification of key indicators of the concept of humanization of medicine from the perspective of male and female physicians, and determination of their communication skills resources by gender.

Material and methods:
A survey conducted during February – April 2022 included 498 physicians – 48.6% (N=242) of males and 52.4% (N=256) of females who declared that they work with patients on a daily basis. The respondents’ mean age was 48.3 (SD = 12.5). The survey used a question relating to the most important aspects in everyday work with patients designed by the research team, and the Health Professionals Communication Skills Scale (HP-CSS).

Results:
Among the most important components in working with patients were carefulness and precision of the actions performed (47.6%), clear and understandable communication (44.2%) and an individual approach to the patient (40.4%). Differences in the area of the dimensions of communication skills indicate that male and female physicians do not differ in terms of respect expressed to patients (p = 0.512). Significantly higher scores were obtained by female physicians in the area of empathy (p = 0.004), while males achieved higher scoresin the area of assertiveness (p = 0.029).

Conclusions:
The results of the study carry implications for both the teaching staff and those working in the health care sector emphasizing the importance of developing communication competencies, while planning activities taking into consideration gender differences remains important.