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White coat, patient gown.

Caroline Wellbery1, Melissa Chan1

  • 1Department of Family Medicine, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.

Medical Humanities
|April 2, 2014
PubMed
Summary

The white coat symbolizes authority but can undermine physician identity, while patient gowns strip patients of identity and add vulnerability. Understanding both is key to the doctor-patient relationship.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Sociology
  • Cultural Studies in Medicine
  • Patient Experience

Background:

  • The symbolic meaning of the white coat in medicine is widely discussed, focusing on purity, authority, and hierarchy.
  • Conversely, the patient gown's role and symbolism in the doctor-patient dynamic are largely overlooked in medical literature.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the power dynamics in the doctor-patient relationship by examining the symbolism of both the white coat and the patient gown.
  • To explore how artistic representations illuminate the cultural perceptions and implications of medical attire.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of contemporary artistic images depicting physicians in white coats and patients in hospital gowns.
  • Cultural and symbolic interpretation of the visual representations to understand power differentials and identity implications.
Keywords:
Doctor

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Main Results:

  • Artistic images reveal the white coat confers professional status but can diminish the physician's personal identity.
  • Hospital gowns strip patients of their identity and introduce feelings of vulnerability.
  • Both garments contribute to the power imbalance within the clinical encounter.

Conclusions:

  • Physicians should consider the hierarchical implications of wearing the white coat.
  • Updating hospital gowns offers a significant opportunity to enhance patient privacy and dignity.