title: [Patients' reaction to pharmacists wearing a mask during their consultations].
abstract: This study sought to determine the effect of pharmacists wearing a mask on the consultation intention of patients who do not have a trusting relationship with the pharmacists. We conducted a questionnaire survey of customers at a Tokyo drugstore in August 2012. Subjects answered a questionnaire after watching two medical teaching videos, one in which the pharmacist was wearing a mask and the other in which the pharmacist was not wearing a mask. Data analysis was performed using a paired t-test and multiple logistic regression. The paired t-test revealed a significant difference in 'Maintenance Problem' between the two pharmacist situations. After excluding factors not associated with wearing a mask, multiple logistic regression analysis identified three independent variables with a significant effect on participants not wanting to consult with a pharmacist wearing a mask. Positive factors were 'active-inactive' and 'frequency mask use', a negative factor was 'age'. Our study has shown that pharmacists wearing a mask may be a factor that prevents patients from consulting with pharmacist. Those patients whose intention to consult might be affected by the pharmacists wearing a mask tended to be younger, to have no habit of wearing masks preventively themselves, and to form a negative opinion of such pharmacists. Therefore, it was estimated that pharmacists who wear masks need to provide medical education by asking questions more positively than when they do not wear a mask in order to prevent the patient worrying about oneself.
authors.affiliation: Division of Social Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Keio University, 1-5-30 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8512, Japan.
authors.forename: Eri
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kishimoto
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fukushima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008397:Masks; D008875:Middle Aged; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D010595:Pharmacists; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires