A new study from The BMJ suggests that patients are more likely to trust their physicians, follow their directions, and report a positive experience if the doctor is wearing conservative and professional style of dress.
The study reviewed 30 studies from 14 countries and found that 70% of the studies showed patients prefer or responded positively to physicians who wore formal attire, defined as a collared shirt, tie and slacks for male physicians and blouse (with or without a blazer), skirt or suit pants for female physicians. However, the researchers did find variations in patient opinions based on geographic location, age, and healthcare setting. For example, patients in the Far East were more comfortable with physicians in formal attire, while patients in the Middle East showed no preference. Also, patients being treated in the outpatient setting were more sensitive to their doctor’s dress than those being treated in the hospital setting. What do you think? What do you wear? Do you think it makes a difference? View the full report here, and weigh in using the comments section below.
