Patient’s Preference on Neurosurgeon’s Attire and Appearance: A Single Center Study in Korea Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Objective. This study was performed to assess neurosurgery patients’ preference for surgeon’s attire and appearance in the hospital. Methods. A total of 100 patients were investigated using a questionnaire comprising 13 questions. We first asked patients about neurosurgeon’s appearance including accessories, hair color, mustache, and beard. Then, based on their preferences, they were asked to rank a series of photographs which illustrated a variety of neurosurgeon attires worn by a doctor. Results. Professional attire with white coat was the most ideal for patients compared to any other attire (preference scale 5.28 ± 1.24), and there was a significant preference gap between wearing a white coat and not wearing a white coat (p <0.01). Patients expressed a preference for neurosurgeon’s shoes (30%) but the majority of the respondents answered that it does not matter which shoes their neurosurgeon wears (43%). Furthermore, the patients did not have any preferences regarding accessories, dyeing, and mustache or beard (58%, 67%, and 51%, respectively), and they did not have negative view towards doctor wearing accessories (71.7%) and growing mustache or beard (71.6%). Conclusion. The patients in this study preferred professional attire along with a white coat compared to any other form of outfit. This result is similar to those of many other studies conducted in other departments or other countries. However, patients did not have a strong negative view on accessories, dyeing, and facial hair. With regard to medical training, patients did not show a preference for their neurosurgeon’s educational background.

International patient preferences for physician attire: results from cross-sectional studies in four countries across three continents

“…Other studies exploring patient perceptions for physician attire have yielded a diverse and often conflicting array of findings, most of which are complicated by different measurement tools and outcomes. Consistent with our results, numerous studies across continents have identified a clear patient preference for white coats 6 7 10 12 14 23 25–41. However, some studies reveal no significant preferences,42–45 and others indicate that the white coat may even cause higher levels of tension in patients 44.…”

“…Physician attire is an important element in establishing patient confidence and trust, 6 enhancing patient comfort when discussing personal problems [7][8][9] and shaping patient perceptions of physician professionalism, 6 intelligence 10 and empathy. 11 Most prior scholarship has focused on a single geographic region, country or clinical context (eg, primary care clinic, hospital setting) [12][13][14][15] and has not considered the relative impacts of different physician specialties, contexts of care, geography and patient factors such as age, education and gender. In addition, heterogeneity among prior studies, such as different sampling methodology and survey instruments, has made comparisons across different studies challenging.…”

A Scoping Review of Professionalism in Neurosurgery

“…Publications that addressed professional identity were sometimes philosophical and sometimes practical. 10,15-65 Several articles addressed the concept of excellence in neurosurgery, 31-33,35,36 while others addressed the personality of a neurosurgeon. 20,61,62 Twelve of the indexed publications were presidential speeches from past presidents of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), and several international neurosurgery societies.…”

“…16,17,20,26,28,30,39,43,[45][46][47]66 One article explored the patient perception of neurosurgeons' appearance and attire. 53 One article performed an obituary analysis to explore neurosurgical identity. 54…”

Public awareness, knowledge of availability, and willingness to use neurosurgical care services in Sub-Saharan Africa: A cross-sectional study

“…This e-survey was reported in accordance with the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES), STrengthening the Reporting Of Cohort Studies in Surgery (STROCSS), and Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) [ 11 – 13 ].…”