Although we find it hard to recognize, physical appearance matters. Judging someone by their attire is something that anyone has ever done, whether on the street, at an event or on any public transport. Now, in addition, a study from the University of Michigan reveals that patients also, judge their doctors based on the attire they wear in the consultation and that clothing influences the satisfaction of health care of more than a third of respondents. Thus, doctors dressed in casual attire, such as t-shirts, sneakers, and jeans, generate less confidence among the people they serve than those who are dressed in formal clothes or medical pajamas. In any case, both formal and informal, as well as with pajamas, all respondents had more confidence in the professionals who also wore white coats. The study reveals that the outfit that scored the most was the formal one with a white coat, followed by the pajamas with a white coat and the formal one without a medical coat. In addition, the results were the same for both sexes. In Medicine, the dress code is quite heterogeneous and we should ensure that our attire reflects a certain level of professionalism. Differences between primary care and specialists The survey, which was carried out on 4,062 patients from ten medical centers, also reflect that the preference of citizens with respect to the attire of the physicians who attend them vary depending on whether it is a Primary Care center, the consultation of a specialist or emergency doctors. In this way, 55 percent of respondents prefer that the doctor attending their health center wear a white coat, a percentage that rises to 72 percent of patients if it is the consultation of a specialist in the hospital. Less importance is given to this aspect in the emergency department, where only 44 percent of respondents believed that the physician should wear a medical coat. Study Methodology In order to carry out this study, in addition to asking 4,062 patients about the importance that doctors' attire had for they, those responsible for the survey asked them to observe images of different doctors, both men and women, dressed in different clothes, and invited them to think about them in healthcare settings. Respondents rated which physicians appeared to have the necessary knowledge to treat them, and if they found she/he reliable, and comprehensive.
