Research Article
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Patient Preferences Tendency Regarding Physician Uniforms

Year 2021, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 7 - 20, 21.06.2021

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the study is to investigate the preferences of female and male physicians’ clothes of adult patients who receive service from different units of a university hospital in Istanbul and to determine the factors that play a role in these preferences.

Materials and Methods: Questionnaires and interviews were conducted with a total of 597 patients participating in the study; 280 patients (46.9%) in clinical services, 219 patients (36.7%) in outpatient clinics and 98 patients (16.4%) in emergency units. A questionnaire was created using the Likert Scale to investigate the preferences of adult patients regarding their physicians’ clothing. Photographs of male and female physicians wearing different hospital uniforms were shown to the patients and the patients were asked to choose from these photographs which ones they preferred. Frequency distributions, independent groups t test and the Friedman test were used to analyze the data.

Results: The preference levels for the clothes of female and male physicians differ according to the age, service unit, education and gender groups of the patients. In addition, there is a significant difference between the reasons for preference and the type of clothing.

Conclusion: The most preferred attire for male and female physicians is a white coat. However, while patients who prefer a white coat care about dignity, professionalism and cleanliness. The patients tend to care less about trust and comfort.

References

  • 1. Blumhagen DW. The doctors’s white coat. Ann Intern Med 1979;91(1):111-6.
  • 2. Short D. First impressions. Br J Hosp Med 1993;50(5):270-1.
  • 3. Menahem S, Shvartzman P. Is our dress important to our patients? Family Practice 1998;15(5):391-7.
  • 4. Anvik T. Doctors in a white coat - what do patients think and what do doctors do? Scand J Health Care 1990;8(2):91-4.
  • 5. Hochberg MS. The doctor’s white coat – an historical perspective. Am Med Assoc 2007;9(4):310-4.
  • 6. Gjerdingen DK, Simpson DE, Titus SL. Patients’ and physicians’ attitudes regarding the physician’s professional appearance. Arch Intern Med 1987;147(7):1209-12.
  • 7. Lill MM, Wilkinson TJ. Judging a book by its cover: descriptive survey of patients’ preferences for doctors’ appearance and mode of address BMJ 2005;331(7531)1524-27.
  • 8. Douse J, Derrett-Smith E, Dheda K, Dilworth JP. Should doctors wear white coats? Postgrad Med J 2004;80(943):284–6.
  • 9. Rehman SU, Nietert PJ, Cope DW, Kilpatrick AO. What to wear today? Effect of doctor’s attire on the trust and confidence of patients. Am J Med 2005;118(11):1279–86.
  • 10. McKinstry B,Wang J. Putting on the style: what patients think of the way their doctor dresses. Br J Gen Pract 1991;41(348):275–8.
  • 11. Watson DAR, Chapman KE. What do Australian junior doctors think of white coats? Med Educ 2002;36(12):1209–13.
  • 12. Cha A, Hecht BR, Nelson K, Hopkins MP. Resident physician attire: does it make a difference to our patients? Am J Obstet Gynecol 2004;190(5):1484-88.
  • 13. Harnett PR. Should doctors wear white coats? Med J Aust 2001;174(7):343–4.
  • 14. Nair BR, Attia JR, Mears SR, Hitchcock KI. Evidence-based physicians’ dressing: a crossover trial. Med J Aust 2002;177(11-12):681-2.
  • 15. Gooden BR, Smith MJ, Tattersall SJ, Stockler MR. Hospitalised patients’ views on doctors and white coats. Med J Aust 2001;175(4):219-22.
  • 16. Wong D, Nye K, Hollis P. Microbial flora on doctors’ white coats. BMJ 1991;303(6817):1602-04.
  • 17. Varghese D, Patel H. Hand washing: stethoscopes and white coats are sources of nosocomial infection. BMJ 1999;319(7208):519.
  • 18. Dixon M. Neck ties as vectors for nosocomial infection. Intensive Care Med 2000;26(2):250.
  • 19. Yılmaz Alarçin E. [Brand risk management in healthcare]. eds. Bozbuğa, N, Yakıncı,C. [Patient safety and risk management]. İnönü Üniversitesi Yayınları, 2020. p.525-30.

Hekim Kıyafetlerine İlişkin Hasta Tercihleri Eğilimi

Year 2021, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 7 - 20, 21.06.2021

Abstract

Amaç: Çalışmanın amacı İstanbul’da bulunan bir üniversite hastanesinin değişik birimlerinden hizmet alan erişkin hastaların kadın ve erkek hekimlerin kıyafetlerine ilişkin tercihlerinin araştırılması ve söz konusu tercihler üzerinde rol oynayan faktörlerin belirlenmesidir.

Gereç ve Yöntem: Çalışmaya katılan hastalarla görüşme ve anket formu uygulaması 280 hastaya (%46.9) klinik servislerde, 219 hastaya (%36.7) polikliniklerde ve 98 hastaya (%16.4) acil servis ünitelerinde olmak üzere toplam 597 hasta üzerinde gerçekleştirilmiştir. Erişkin hastaların, hekimlerin kıyafetlerine ilişkin tercihlerini araştırmak için Likert Ölçeği kullanılarak anket oluşturulmuştur. Hastalara değişik hastane kıyafetleri taşıyan kadın veya erkek hekimlerin fotoğrafları gösterilerek, hastalardan bu fotoğraflar arasından seçim yapmaları istenmiştir. Verilerin analizi için frekans dağılımlarından, bağımsız gruplar t testinden ve Friedman testinden yararlanılmıştır.

Bulgular: Hastaların yaş, hizmet alınan birim, eğitim ve cinsiyet gruplarına göre kadın ve erkek hekimlerin kıyafetlerine ilişkin tercih düzeyleri farklılaşmaktadır. Ayrıca tercih nedenleri ile kıyafet türü arasında da anlamlı fark bulunmaktadır.

Sonuç: Hastaların kadın ve erkek hekimler için en çok tercih ettiği kıyafet beyaz vizit önlüğüdür. Ancak beyaz vizit önlüğünü tercih eden hastalar saygınlık, profesyonellik ve temizlik unsurlarını önemserken; güven ve rahatlatıcılık unsurlarını önemseme eğilimleri daha düşüktür. 

References

  • 1. Blumhagen DW. The doctors’s white coat. Ann Intern Med 1979;91(1):111-6.
  • 2. Short D. First impressions. Br J Hosp Med 1993;50(5):270-1.
  • 3. Menahem S, Shvartzman P. Is our dress important to our patients? Family Practice 1998;15(5):391-7.
  • 4. Anvik T. Doctors in a white coat - what do patients think and what do doctors do? Scand J Health Care 1990;8(2):91-4.
  • 5. Hochberg MS. The doctor’s white coat – an historical perspective. Am Med Assoc 2007;9(4):310-4.
  • 6. Gjerdingen DK, Simpson DE, Titus SL. Patients’ and physicians’ attitudes regarding the physician’s professional appearance. Arch Intern Med 1987;147(7):1209-12.
  • 7. Lill MM, Wilkinson TJ. Judging a book by its cover: descriptive survey of patients’ preferences for doctors’ appearance and mode of address BMJ 2005;331(7531)1524-27.
  • 8. Douse J, Derrett-Smith E, Dheda K, Dilworth JP. Should doctors wear white coats? Postgrad Med J 2004;80(943):284–6.
  • 9. Rehman SU, Nietert PJ, Cope DW, Kilpatrick AO. What to wear today? Effect of doctor’s attire on the trust and confidence of patients. Am J Med 2005;118(11):1279–86.
  • 10. McKinstry B,Wang J. Putting on the style: what patients think of the way their doctor dresses. Br J Gen Pract 1991;41(348):275–8.
  • 11. Watson DAR, Chapman KE. What do Australian junior doctors think of white coats? Med Educ 2002;36(12):1209–13.
  • 12. Cha A, Hecht BR, Nelson K, Hopkins MP. Resident physician attire: does it make a difference to our patients? Am J Obstet Gynecol 2004;190(5):1484-88.
  • 13. Harnett PR. Should doctors wear white coats? Med J Aust 2001;174(7):343–4.
  • 14. Nair BR, Attia JR, Mears SR, Hitchcock KI. Evidence-based physicians’ dressing: a crossover trial. Med J Aust 2002;177(11-12):681-2.
  • 15. Gooden BR, Smith MJ, Tattersall SJ, Stockler MR. Hospitalised patients’ views on doctors and white coats. Med J Aust 2001;175(4):219-22.
  • 16. Wong D, Nye K, Hollis P. Microbial flora on doctors’ white coats. BMJ 1991;303(6817):1602-04.
  • 17. Varghese D, Patel H. Hand washing: stethoscopes and white coats are sources of nosocomial infection. BMJ 1999;319(7208):519.
  • 18. Dixon M. Neck ties as vectors for nosocomial infection. Intensive Care Med 2000;26(2):250.
  • 19. Yılmaz Alarçin E. [Brand risk management in healthcare]. eds. Bozbuğa, N, Yakıncı,C. [Patient safety and risk management]. İnönü Üniversitesi Yayınları, 2020. p.525-30.
There are 19 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language Turkish
Subjects Clinical Sciences
Journal Section Research Article
Authors

Eda Yılmaz Alarçin 0000-0002-6100-1272

Ahmet Bilge Sözen This is me 0000-0001-7324-2842

Nilgün Bozbuğa 0000-0002-4401-5250

Halim İşsever 0000-0002-5435-706X

Publication Date June 21, 2021
Submission Date January 15, 2021
Published in Issue Year 2021 Volume: 4 Issue: 2

Cite

MLA Yılmaz Alarçin, Eda et al. “Hekim Kıyafetlerine İlişkin Hasta Tercihleri Eğilimi”. Sağlık Bilimlerinde İleri Araştırmalar Dergisi, vol. 4, no. 2, 2021, pp. 7-20.