Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the influence of physician attire on patient perceptions including their trust, satisfaction and confidence.
Methodology: This cross-sectional observational study using self-administered questionnaires was carried out in the Gynecology and Obstetrics department of Al Sadiq SSH and Quaid e Azam International Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan from January 2017 to April 2017.
Results: Of the 450 patients or caretakers who were approached, 336 responded to the questionnaire, with 280 complete responses used in subsequent analyses. The mean age of respondents was 41.9 years and 40.3% were male. Regardless of a doctor’s gender, the white coat with formal dress was judged to be the most appropriate style of dress, followed by surgical scrubs with white coat.
Conclusion: Attire is one of the important factors that inspires patients trust and confidence in physicians. Shirt and tie with white coat or scrubs remains the patient’s preferred attire for physicians compared to short sleeved shirt and no tie.

Key words: White coat, physicians attire, patients perception.