Absolutley. People trust doctors more when they wear that white coat: Read Also: Taking Your Clothes Off In Front Of Your Doctor How To Dress According To Your Body Shape And Type Purpose There are very few studies about the impact of physicians’ attire on patients’ confidence and trust. The objective of this study was to determine whether the way a doctor dresses is an important factor in the degree of trust and confidence among respondents. Methods A cross-sectional descriptive study using survey methodology was conducted of patients and visitors in the waiting room of an internal medicine outpatient clinic. Respondents completed a written survey after reviewing pictures of physicians in four different dress styles. Respondents were asked questions related to their preference for physician dress as well as their trust and willingness to discuss sensitive issues. Results Four hundred respondents with a mean age of 52.4 years were enrolled; 54% were men, 58% were white, 38% were African-American, and 43% had greater than a high school diploma. On all questions regarding physician dress style preferences, respondents significantly favored the professional attire with white coat (76.3%, P <.0001), followed by surgical scrubs (10.2%), business dress (8.8%), and casual dress (4.7%). Their trust and confidence was significantly associated with their preference for professional dress (P <.0001). Respondents also reported that they were significantly more willing to share their social, sexual, and psychological problems with the physician who is professionally dressed (P <.0001). The importance of physician’s appearance was ranked similarly between male and female respondents (P = .54); however, female physicians’ dress appeared to be significantly more important to respondents than male physicians’ dress (P <.001). Conclusion "Respondents overwhelmingly favor physicians in professional attire with a white coat. Wearing professional dress (ie, a white coat with more formal attire) while providing patient care by physicians may favorably influence trust and confidence-building in the medical encounter." Source
48 years in practice and always a shirt, tie and white lab coat! Never boarded an airplane without a tie and jacket. I've learned that looking like a gentleman, you get treated like one.
Just to mention, we are like 3 doctors, I'm the only one dressed with shirt, tie and white long coat! I have more patients than the other 2 doctors! Try it
Although this may be true Infection control dress code in the nhs authority I work for states that no white coats are to be worn. Ties must be secured and the policy for all staff in clinical areas is bare below elbows except plain wedding band.
As a family physician of 30 yrs. I have observed that Pediatric patients tend to be more approachable when I don't wear the white coat. Besides I've developed a large clientele without the coat. Why do we have "white coat hypertension " in the first plàce?
