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Related Experiment Videos

Should doctors wear white coats?

J Douse1, E Derrett-Smith, K Dheda

  • 1Department of Thoracic Medicine, Royal Free Hospital NHS Trust, Royal Free and UCL Medical School, London, UK.

Postgraduate Medical Journal
|May 13, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Most patients, particularly older adults, believe doctors should wear white coats for identification, contrasting with doctors

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Area of Science:

  • Medical sociology
  • Patient-physician communication
  • Healthcare professional attire

Background:

  • The role and perception of healthcare professional attire, specifically the white coat, remain subjects of debate.
  • Understanding differing perspectives between physicians and patients is crucial for effective healthcare interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare patient and physician viewpoints on whether physicians should wear white coats.
  • To identify factors influencing these views.

Main Methods:

  • A questionnaire-based study was conducted.
  • Data were collected from 400 patients and 86 physicians.

Main Results:

  • A significantly higher proportion of patients (56%) favored physicians wearing white coats compared to physicians (24%) (p<0.001).
  • Patient preference for white coats was associated with age (over 70 years) and whether their physician already wore a white coat.
  • Patients cited easy identification as the primary reason for preferring white coats, with minimal concern about infection transmission. Physicians cited infection risk and discomfort.

Conclusions:

  • A notable discrepancy exists between patient and physician attitudes towards white coats, with patients valuing them for identification and physicians viewing them as a potential infection risk.
  • Older patients (over 70) are more likely to prefer white coats.
  • Further research is recommended to explore the impact of white coat attire on perceived quality of care and the potential for patient education to influence these perceptions.

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