title: Preferences of ophthalmic plastics patients and their caregivers toward the doctors' attire and initial communications: A tertiary eye care study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to determine the acceptability levels of different styles of the doctors' dress and the expectations from the initial phases of physician-patient encounter.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study design was a cross-sectional descriptive type using the survey methodology. A survey based on a five-point questionnaire was performed on all consecutive patients or their caregivers, aged ≥15, visiting the ophthalmic plastics outpatient clinics at a tertiary eye care institute. The participants were shown three sets of photographs and were required to answer a questionnaire which consisted of five questions. Data collected include participant demographics and their preferences with regards to the physician's attire and initial communications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 300 consecutive responses were analyzed. The mean age of the participants was 37.2 years. Among the participants, 87.6% (263/300) and 90.3% (271/300) preferred a white coat for the male and female physicians, respectively (P < 0.001). The most common second preference was scrubs for both the males and female physicians. 92.3% (277/300) preferred the attire to have an identification display. The overwhelming majority of respondents (95.6%, 287/300) preferred the physicians to address them by their name and 98.6% (296/300) liked if their physicians smiled while addressing them.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  White coat was the main preferred attire among respondents. Increased awareness of the patient's expectations plays a crucial role in enhancing their satisfaction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmic Plastics Surgery, Ophthalmic Plastics Surgery Service, L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
authors.forename: Sadiya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iram
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmic Plastics Surgery, Ophthalmic Plastics Surgery Service, L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
authors.forename: Winston D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Prakash
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmic Plastics Surgery, Ophthalmic Plastics Surgery Service, L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
authors.forename: Mohammad Javed
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmic Plastics Surgery, Ophthalmic Plastics Surgery Service, L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
authors.forename: Tarjani Vivek
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Dave
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmic Plastics Surgery, Ophthalmic Plastics Surgery Service, L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
authors.forename: Milind N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Naik
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers / Q000941:ethics*; D003020:Clothing / Q000592:standards*; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics*; D010820:Physicians / Q000941:ethics*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D055815:Young Adult