Patients like a medic in a white coat, but often mistake female doctors for nurses | Doctors
Patients consider doctors in white coat as professionals and trustworthy, but often confuse a woman doctor by carrying a nurse or a medical assistant, a study revealed.
Women doctors are “unfairly judged according to appearance and holding of holding, which affected patient perceptions in terms of professionalism and competence”, according to a global review of evidence concerning the impressions of patients on what doctors wear.
“Doctors are often more judged on the appearance than their male counterparts,” he said.
“The way in which female doctors dress considerably influence the perceptions of competence and professionalism, highlighting the sexospecific expectations that patients hold.
“Even when male and female doctors wore identical clothes, doctors were even more likely to be poorly identified as an infirmarian or medical assistants.”
The researchers found that “perceptions linked to the kind of doctor’s hold” existed in the 13 countries studied, including the United States, India, Japan, China and Germany.
The article, published in the review BMJ Open, is based on an analysis of 32 studies previously published on the perceptions of doctors’ clothes.
“The expectations concerning the outfits are often sexospecific, affecting in particular the recognition and the respect granted to female doctors”, write the co-authors of the newspaper.
Such behavior is so widespread that hospitals and other health care providers should try to reduce biases in patients and “promote fair perceptions” of male and female doctors, they add.
The white layer has been a symbol of medical expertise for decades. His association in the minds of patients with cleanliness and professionalism meant that “white medical layers have become standard holding for doctors around the world in the 20th century”.
Until then, doctors had generally worn black clothes to reflect the severity of meetings with patients.
People who receive health care find the reassuring white layer, revealed the study.
“Regardless of sex, patients had favorable attitudes towards doctors with white coats, perceiving doctors as trustworthy, respectful, qualified, communicative and empathetic.”
The white layer is still widely used by doctors around the world. However, it was prohibited in the United Kingdom in 2008, when the government decided that doctors working in the NHS should follow a “naked elbow” approach to reduce their risk of propagation of infections. The British Medical Association was not sure that evidence justified the change.
Despite the preference of patients for doctors with formal clothing, the COVVI-19 pandemic made them more accepting the scrubs.
“Patients tended to feel more comfortable with doctors carrying scrubs after the end of COVID-19. Although the traditional white layer was considered a symbol of professionalism and trust, patients have increasingly accepted scrubs, in particular in the event of an emergency or at high risk,” the researchers noted.
Globally, male doctors seem to benefit from another advantage in the minds of many patients as to what they wear.
“Patient perceptions concerning the accessories of male doctors have shown that details such as watches and glasses have a significant impact on professionalism and reliability” and add to their perceived authority, the study revealed.
