title: Doctor's attire influences perceived empathy in the patient-doctor relationship.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated whether doctors' attire influences the perception of empathy in the patient-doctor relationship during a therapeutic encounter.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total number of 143 patients were divided into four groups when they were consulting a Traditional Korean Medicine doctor. Depending on the group, the same doctor was wearing four different attires--Casual, Suit, Traditional dress, White coat--when having a clinical consultation with the patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients preferred white coat and traditional dress more than other attires, giving highest scores to white coat in competency, trustworthiness and preference of attire and to traditional dress in comfortableness and contentment with the consultation. The "Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE)" score was significantly higher in the "White coat" and "Traditional" groups, compared to the "Casual" and "Suit" groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The strong association between the patients' preference of doctors' attire and the CARE score indicates that the doctor's attire plays not only an important role for establishing confidence and trustworthiness but also for the perception of empathy in the patient-doctor relationship.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The doctor's attire can function as an effective tool of non-verbal communication in order to signal confidence, trust and empathy and establish a good patient-doctor relationship.
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture & Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Heesu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Hyeyeon
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dong-Seon
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Ho-Sun
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyejung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hi-Joon
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Younbyoung
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chae
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003020:Clothing / Q000523:psychology*; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055670:Medicine, Korean Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D057240:Patient Preference; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010820:Physicians; D011361:Professional Competence; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012938:Social Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035502:Trust; D055815:Young Adult