title: [Clothing make the doctor--patients have more confidence in a smartly dressed GP].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the influence of the general practitioner's style of clothing on the patient's level of confidence in that doctor; is vanity a functional attribute for the GP?
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental comparative study.
  
  
  METHODS
  4 photographic models representing 4 types of GP, namely the older male, younger male, older female and younger female GP, were each photographed dressed in 4 different styles of clothing (business wear, formal, semi-formal and casual). These photos were shown to evaluators with the question 'How much confidence do you have in this doctor?' The level of confidence was allocated a score on a numerical scale from 0 (no confidence) to 10 (complete confidence). There were 2 groups of evaluators: patients aged ≥ 65 years and professionals attending a symposium.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The clothing style had a significant impact on the level of confidence in the older and younger male doctor and in the younger female doctor. The assessment by elderly patients (n = 116) differed significantly from the assessment by professionals (n = 59). The professionals had a far more pronounced opinion on style of clothing than the patients did. Business wear and formal clothing generally inspired more confidence than casual clothing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A GP's style of clothing affects the patient's initial level of confidence in that doctor. Vanity therefore seems to be a functional attribute for the GP.
authors.affiliation: Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen, Afd. Huisartsgeneeskunde, Groningen, the Netherlands. j.w.h.kocks@med.umcg.nl
authors.forename: Janwillem W H
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kocks
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lisman-van Leeuwen
authors.forename: P G J Ine
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Berkelmans
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001290:Attitude; D003020:Clothing / Q000523:psychology* / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D058005:General Practitioners; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010822:Physicians, Women; D012737:Sex Factors