Judging a book by its cover: descriptive survey of patients' preferences for doctors' appearance and mode of address.
OBJECTIVE
To document patients' preferred dress styles of their doctors and modes of address.


METHODS
Descriptive survey.


METHODS
Inpatients and outpatients at a tertiary level hospital, New Zealand.


METHODS
202 inpatients and 249 outpatients, mean age 55.9 (SD 19.3) years.


METHODS
Ranking of patients' opinions of photographs showing doctors wearing different dress styles. A five point Likert scale was used to measure patient comfort with particular items of appearance.


RESULTS
Patients preferred doctors to wear semiformal attire, but the addition of a smiling face was even better. The next most preferred styles were semiformal without a smile, followed by white coat, formal suit, jeans, and casual dress. Patients were more comfortable with conservative items of clothing, such as long sleeves, covered shoes, and dress trousers or skirts than with less conservative items such as facial piercing, short tops, and earrings on men. Many less conservative items such as jeans were still acceptable to most patients. Most patients preferred to be called by their first name, to be introduced to a doctor by full name and title, and to see the doctor's name badge worn at the breast pocket. Older patients had more conservative preferences.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients prefer doctors to wear semiformal dress and are most comfortable with conservative items; many less conservative items were, however, acceptable. A smile made a big difference.
Lill
Marianne M
MM
Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago, New Zealand.
Wilkinson
Tim J
TJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003020:Clothing; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations