title: White coat in primary care: what do patients think today? Cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patient preference for their doctor's attire can influence their assessment of the quality of care. Most patients prefer specialists and hospital-based physicians to wear white coats, but evidence from general practitioner (GP) practices is lacking. We aimed to assess patient preference for GPs to wear white coats in Switzerland.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-sectional survey in the canton of Geneva, Switzerland, in 2011. The survey was part of a larger study on patient expectations from their GP. A random sample of 75 GPs was contacted by post and 23 agreed to participate. They were asked to recruit between 50 and 100 consecutive patients coming to the practice for a scheduled consultation. Patients were asked to complete a questionnaire on their expectations from the GP, including whether they preferred their GP to wear a white coat or not.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1,637 patients agreed to participate (participation rate: 97%, women: 63%, mean age: 64 years). Overall, wearing a white coat was considered important by only 34% of participants. In multivariate analyses, older patients, those of Italian background and patients consulting uncertified GPs and/or GPs wearing a white coat were more likely to consider white coats as being important.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that white coats are no longer considered a powerful symbol for a large majority of patients visiting GPs. However, GPs may wish to adjust their attire to meet the expectations of their more conservative patients.
authors.affiliation: Primary Care Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sebo
authors.affiliation: Geriatrics Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: François R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.affiliation: Primary Care Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Community, Primary Care and Emergency Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Paediatrics, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Swit.
authors.forename: Dagmar M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Haller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003020:Clothing; D003116:Color; D003258:Consumer Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D013557:Switzerland; D055815:Young Adult