title: Preferences of Iranian patients about style of labelling and calling of their physicians.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To document the performance of patients regarding label styles of their doctors and modes of addressing them.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this descriptive survey, 400 patients, at two teaching hospitals--Hajar and Kashani--with a mean age of 40.5 +/- 19.5 years were enrolled. Their demographic data, disorder type and duration were recorded. Photos demonstrating different label and attire styles based on Iranian culture were shown to the patients and they were asked to mark their performances about the necessity of wearing name badge. They were also requested to nominate the way they preferred to be addressed by the doctors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the participants, 180 (45%) were men; 307 (76.8%) were married; and the mean duration of hospitalisation was 2.5 +/- 2.1 days. Most of the patients, (n = 320; 80%) stated that the doctor should always wear a name badge; 301 (75.3%) preferred to call their physicians by title; and 227 (56.8%) preferred to be called by their surnames. Patients preferred to have female physicians wearing white coat, shirt and trousers as the preferred dress code.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients in the study preferred to have the physicians professionally attired, with the only difference being the dark veil for female physicians. Name badge and white coat were also preferred by the patients.
authors.affiliation: Center of Educational and Therapeutic, Department of Psychiatry, Hajar Medical Hospital, Shahrekord, Iran.
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Najafi
authors.forename: Abolfazl
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khoshdel
authors.forename: Soleiman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kheiri
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003020:Clothing; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D009275:Names; D057240:Patient Preference; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires