Podcast 739: Perceptions of Dress

Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD

Educational Pearls:

• Study examined patient perceptions of providers wearing traditional white coats, fleece coats and soft-shell jackets
• Found that white coats were seen as more professional than other types of dress
• Also found that female physicians were viewed as less professional than their male counterparts regardless of dress
• Older respondents thought more of white coats than younger respondents
• Patient perspective should be considered and reiterating roles may help build relationships with patients

References

Xun H, Chen J, Sun AH, Jenny HE, Liang F, Steinberg JP. Public Perceptions of Physician Attire and Professionalism in the US. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(7):e2117779. Published 2021 Jul 1. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.17779

Summarized by John Spartz, MS4 | Edited by Erik Verzemnieks, MD

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