Would you consult a doctor wearing black leather motorcycle pants? Or would you rather put your faith in a medical professional dressed formally, conservatively, and wearing a white coat? For most people, what the doctor wears is directly connected with their faith in his skills as a medical practitioner.
Research from Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, published in the journal ‘BMJ Open’, says that what doctors wear matters to the patients. And it’s is not just about fashion; the sartorial choices of the doctors directly affect patients’ satisfaction with their care.
More than 4,000 patients were surveyed in the clinics and hospitals of 10 major medical centres and their opinion sought of what the doctors should wear. The patients were not only clear on what evokes their trust in their doctor but also picked their preferred attire for physicians in different settings and specialties.
“Professional dress on Wall Street, law and nearly every other industry is relatively clear – and it typically mirrors what applicants would wear to their job interview,” says Dr Christopher Petrilli, lead author of the study. “In medicine, the dress code is quite heterogeneous, but as physicians we should make sure that our attire reflects a certain level of professionalism that is also mindful of patients’ preferences.”
The study asked patients to look at pictures of male and female physicians in seven different forms of attire, and to think of them in both inpatient and outpatient clinical settings. For each photo, they rated the providers on how knowledgeable, trustworthy, caring and approachable the physician appeared, and how comfortable the attire made the patient feel.
The options were
Casual: Short-sleeved collared shirt and jeans with tennis shoes, with or without white coat
Scrubs: Blue short-sleeved scrub top and pants, with or without white coat
Formal: Light blue long-sleeved dress shirt and navy blue suit pants, with or without white coat, with black leather shoes with one-inch heels for women and black leather shoes for men, and a dark blue tie for men
Business suit: Navy blue jacket and pants with the same dress shirt, tie and shoes as in the ‘formal’ option, no white coat.
Formal attire with a white coat got the highest score on the composite of five measures, and was especially popular with people over age 65. It was followed by scrubs with a white coat, and formal attire without a white coat.
When asked directly what they thought their own doctors should wear, 44% said the formal attire with white coat, and 26% said scrubs with a white coat. When asked what they would prefer surgeons and emergency physicians wear, scrubs alone got 34% of the vote, followed by scrubs with a white coat with 23%.
The results were largely the same for physicians of either gender except for male surgeons. Patients tended to prefer that they go with formal wear, without a white coat.
The setting of care mattered, too. Around 62% agreed or strongly agreed that when seeing patients in the hospital, doctors should wear a white coat, and 55% said the same for doctors seeing patients in an office setting. The percentage preferring a white coat fell to 44% for emergency physicians.
Though the surveys were conducted during business hours on weekdays, the researchers asked patients what they thought doctors should wear when seeing patients on weekends. In this case, 44% said the short-sleeved outfit with jeans was appropriate, though 56% were neutral or disapproved of such a look even on weekends.
The researchers note that despite the fact that studies have shown that while physicians’ white coats, neckties and sleeves harbour infectious organisms, leading some countries to require physicians’ arms to be bare below the elbow, no studies have shown actual transmission of infection to patients through contact with physician attire.
However, other research has suggested that physicians may be more attentive to tasks when wearing their white coats, perhaps increasing patient safety.
“Patients appear to care about attire and may expect to see their doctor in certain ways. Which may explain why even white lab coats received a high rating for ‘approachability’ – patients may see a white coat similar to a physician’s uniform and may similarly also expect formal attire in most settings,” notes Dr Petrilli. “Patients don’t always have the opportunity to choose their doctor. In this era of appropriately increased focus on patient centeredness and satisfaction, physician attire may be an important, easily modifiable component of the patient care experience.”
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