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How to dress as a paediatrician?
Julia Hofmann1, Heinz Zotter, Reinhold Kerbl
1Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, LKH Leoben-Eisenerz, Leoben, Austria. julia.hofmann0412@gmail.com
Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|September 12, 2012
Summary
Parents and older children prefer pediatricians in casual attire, finding it enhances the doctor-patient relationship without reducing trust. A pediatrician's outfit has minimal impact on younger children's behavior.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric healthcare
- Doctor-patient relationship dynamics
- Child psychology
Background:
- The influence of a pediatrician's attire on the doctor-patient-parent relationship is not well-established.
- Understanding patient and parent preferences can improve healthcare experiences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of different pediatrician clothing styles on the doctor-patient-parent relationship.
- To determine children's and parents' preferred pediatrician outfits.
Main Methods:
- A pediatrician wore casual, semiformal, or formal attire during hospital visits with 107 children and 72 parents.
- Interviews with parents and children (6-18 years) using a semi-structured questionnaire.
- Behavioral observations of children (0-6 years) during examinations.
Main Results:
- Parents overwhelmingly preferred casual attire (95.5%), rating it highest.
- Children aged 6-18 also rated casual dress highest (100%).
- Parental trust remained comparable across all attire groups; younger children's behavior was unaffected by outfit.
Conclusions:
- Parents and older children prefer pediatricians in casual clothing, which does not diminish trust.
- A pediatrician's attire appears to have a significant impact on older children and their parents' perceptions.
- For very young children, the pediatrician's outfit choice seems to play a minor role.
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