Physician's attire doesn't matter to patients

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Whether a doctor wears business attire, casual clothing or scrubs seems to make little difference in a patient's satisfaction with treatment, the results of a new survey show.

"This contradicts the long-standing belief that attire affects the level of patient comfort or the patient's perception of physician competence and professionalism," lead author Dr. Richard L. Fischer, from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Camden, said in a statement.

The findings, which appear in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, are based on a satisfaction survey conducted over a 3-month period that included 1,116 women who had an office visit with a new obstetrician-gynecologist. Unbeknownst to the patients, the 20 participating physicians were randomly assigned to wear business attire, casual clothing, or scrubs on a weekly basis.

The business attire included a tie for men and a buttoned white coat; the casual outfit excluded jeans but otherwise consisted of typical relaxed clothing and an optional unbuttoned white coat; and the scrubs were hospital issue with no white coat. There were an equal number of female and male physicians in the group.

After the appointment, which lasted at least 10 minutes, the women were ask to complete the survey that consisted of 10 questions concerning the physician's competence and professionalism, the women's sense of comfort and whether they would return or recommend the physician to others.

The physicians' clothing had no bearing on overall patient satisfaction and did not influence attitudes about physician competence or professionalism, the report shows.

These results suggest that good physician-patient interaction and not the physician's attire is the key to maintaining patient satisfaction and loyalty, the researchers conclude.

SOURCE: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, February 2007.