Does wearing a white coat or civilian dress in the consultation have an impact on patient satisfaction?

Kersnik, Janko; Tušek-Bunc, Ksenija; Glas, Katarina-Lucija; Poplas-Susiè, Tonka; Vodopivec‐Jamšek, Vlasta

doi:10.3109/13814780509178018

Cited by 4 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…No significant differences were seen between the formal and casual attire groups, after watching the first video, for compassion (median [IQR], 25 vs. 20 , respectively; p =.31) and professionalism (17 vs. 18 , respectively; p = .42).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…No significant differences were seen between the formal and casual attire groups, after watching the first video, for compassion (median [IQR], 25 vs. 20 [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27], respectively; p=.31) and professionalism (17 [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] vs. 18 [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22], respectively; p = .42).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Unfortunately, there are no randomized controlled trials to confirm the survey findings. The few studies that have been conducted have included designs in which patients were not blinded, used pictures of health professionals in different attire and the same or different doctors in different attire, and rated the doctors involved in direct care [2,3,7,9,11,[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28], which raises concerns for bias.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Challenging the Status Quo of Physician Attire in the Palliative Care Setting

et al. 2020

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Background, Aim, and Hypothesis This randomized controlled trial aimed to compare the impact of a physician's attire on the perceptions of patients with cancer of compassion, professionalism, and physician preference. Our hypothesis was that patients would perceive the physician with formal attire as more compassionate than the physician wearing casual attire. Materials and Methods One hundred five adult follow‐up patients with advanced cancer were randomized to watch two standardized, 3‐minute video vignettes with the same script, depicting a routine physician‐patient clinic encounter. Videos included a physician in formal attire with tie and buttoned‐up white coat and casual attire without a tie or white coat. Actors, patients, and investigators were all blinded to the purpose and videos watched, respectively. After each video, patients completed validated questionnaires rating their perception of physician compassion, professionalism, and their overall preference for the physician. Results There were no significant differences between formal and casual attire for compassion (median [interquartile range], 25 [10–31] vs. 20 [8–27]; p = .31) and professionalism (17 [13–21] vs. 18 [14–22]; p = .42). Thirty percent of patients preferred formal attire, 31% preferred casual attire, and 38% had no preference. Subgroup analysis did not show statistically significant differences among different cohorts of age, sex, marital status, and education level. Conclusion Doctors’ attire did not affect the perceptions of patients with cancer of physician's level of compassion and professionalism, nor did it influence the patients’ preference for their doctor or their trust and confidence in the doctor's ability to provide care. There is a need for more studies in this area of communications skills. Clinical trial identification number. NCT03168763 Implications for Practice The significance of physician attire as a means of nonverbal communication has not been well characterized. It is an important element to consider, as patient preferences vary geographically, are influenced by cultural beliefs, and may vary based on particular care settings. Previous studies consisted of nonblinded surveys and found increasing confidence in physicians wearing a professional white coat. Unfortunately, there are no randomized controlled trials, to the authors’ knowledge, to confirm the survey findings. In this randomized, blinded clinical trial the researchers found that physician's attire did not affect patients’ perception of the physician's level of compassion and professionalism. Attire also did not influence the patients’ preferences for their doctor or their trust and confidence in the doctor's ability to provide care.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Challenging the Status Quo of Physician Attire in the Palliative Care Setting

et al. 2020

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“… 5 21 25 Only two studies reported no attire preferences in this specific medical discipline in this setting. 28 29 Conversely, four of five studies conducted in acute care settings reported no attire preferences 17 18 31 37 ; only one study reported a preference of formal attire with or without a white coats. 16 Of the seven procedural studies that included patients from obstetrics and gynecology, gastroenterology, emergency care and surgery, 19 20 22 23 33 36 39 three reported either no specific preference for attire 22 23 39 or preference for scrubs over other attire.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Many of the included studies were conducted in the USA (n=10); 1 17 19 20 22–24 31 36 37 however, other geographic locations including Canada (n=2), 16 35 UK, Ireland and Scotland (n=5), 18 25 26 34 39 Asia (n=4), 5 21 28 41 other European nations (n=5), 29 30 33 38 40 Australia and New Zealand (n=2), 27 32 the Middle East (n=1) 15 and Brazil (n=1) 42 were also represented. With respect to temporality, 22 of the 30 included studies were published within the last decade 1 5 15 16 19–23 25 26 29–33 36 38–42 ; however, several studies were published more than 10 years ago. 17 18 24 27 28 34 35 37 Seven studies specified the inclusion of patients who had at least a high school or college-level education 1 15 16 20 35 38 40 ; however, the remaining studies did not report the educational level of their population.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the role of physician attire on patient perceptions: a systematic review of the literature— targeting attire to improve likelihood of rapport (TAILOR) investigators

et al. 2015

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ObjectivesDespite a growing body of literature, uncertainty regarding the influence of physician dress on patients’ perceptions exists. Therefore, we performed a systematic review to examine the influence of physician attire on patient perceptions including trust, satisfaction and confidence.Setting, participants, interventions and outcomesWe searched MEDLINE, Embase, Biosis Previews and Conference Papers Index. Studies that: (1) involved participants ≥18 years of age; (2) evaluated physician attire; and (3) reported patient perceptions related to attire were included. Two authors determined study eligibility. Studies were categorised by country of origin, clinical discipline (eg, internal medicine, surgery), context (inpatient vs outpatient) and occurrence of a clinical encounter when soliciting opinions regarding attire. Studies were assessed using the Downs and Black Scale risk of bias scale. Owing to clinical and methodological heterogeneity, meta-analyses were not attempted.ResultsOf 1040 citations, 30 studies involving 11 533 patients met eligibility criteria. Included studies featured patients from 14 countries. General medicine, procedural (eg, general surgery and obstetrics), clinic, emergency departments and hospital settings were represented. Preferences or positive influence of physician attire on patient perceptions were reported in 21 of the 30 studies (70%). Formal attire and white coats with other attire not specified was preferred in 18 of 30 studies (60%). Preference for formal attire and white coats was more prevalent among older patients and studies conducted in Europe and Asia. Four of seven studies involving procedural specialties reported either no preference for attire or a preference for scrubs; four of five studies in intensive care and emergency settings also found no attire preference. Only 3 of 12 studies that surveyed patients after a clinical encounter concluded that attire influenced patient perceptions.ConclusionsAlthough patients often prefer formal physician attire, perceptions of attire are influenced by age, locale, setting and context of care. Policy-based interventions that target such factors appear necessary.

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Does the white coat influence satisfaction, trust and empathy in the doctor–patient relationship in the General and Family Medicine consultation? Interventional study

Carreira

Dinis²,

Correia³

et al. 2021

BMJ Open

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ObjectivesTo understand the influence of the white coat on patient satisfaction, opinions about medical clothing, perception about confidence, empathy and medical knowledge and the satisfaction and comfort level of physicians in consultation.SettingAn interventional study was conducted with a representative sample of the population attending primary care in central Portugal.ParticipantsThe sample was composed by 286 patients divided into two groups exposed or not to a doctor wearing a white coat. The first and last patients in consultation every day for 10 consecutive days were included.InterventionsEvery other day the volunteer physicians consulted with or without the use of a white coat. At the end of the consultation, a questionnaire was distributed to the patient with simple questions with a Likert scale response, the Portuguese version of the ‘Trust in physician’ scale and the Jefferson Scale of Patient Perceptions of Physician Empathy - Portuguese Version (JSPPPE-VP scale). A questionnaire was also distributed to the physician.OutcomesPlanned and measured primary outcomes were patient satisfaction, trust and perception about empathy and secondary outcomes were opinion about medical clothing, satisfaction and comfort level of physicians in consultation.ResultsThe sample was homogeneous in terms of sociodemographic variables. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of satisfaction, trust, empathy and knowledge perceived by the patients. There were differences in the opinion of the patients about the white coat, and when the physician was wearing the white coat this group of patients tended to think that this was the only acceptable attire for the physician (p<0.001). But when the family physician was in consultation without the white coat, this group of patients tended to agree that communication was easier (p=0.001).ConclusionsThere was no significant impact of the white coat in patient satisfaction, empathy and confidence in the family physician.Trial registration numberClinicalTrials.gov ID number: NCT03965416.

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Does wearing a white coat or civilian dress in the consultation have an impact on patient satisfaction?

Cited by 4 publications

References 9 publications

Challenging the Status Quo of Physician Attire in the Palliative Care Setting

Challenging the Status Quo of Physician Attire in the Palliative Care Setting

Understanding the role of physician attire on patient perceptions: a systematic review of the literature— targeting attire to improve likelihood of rapport (TAILOR) investigators

Does the white coat influence satisfaction, trust and empathy in the doctor–patient relationship in the General and Family Medicine consultation? Interventional study

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