The Importance of a White Coat and Appearance on Emergency Patients

Yıl 2019, Cilt: 8 Sayı: 1, 64 - 69, 28.03.2019

Ramazan Güven , Eylem Kuday Kaykısız , Hatice Öntürk , M. İkbaş Şaşmaz , Asım Arı Gökhan Eyüpoğlu Ayşe Gürol

Öz

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the opinions of patients about
the white coats and other factors contributing to the appearance of emergency
physician in the Emergency Department.

Materials and Methods: This multicenter, cross-sectional, survey
study was conducted with 1014 patients admitted to the Emergency Departments of
4 different hospitals. Patients’ preferences were investigated with open-ended
questions about white coats, civilian clothing, and uniform, the color of the
uniform and doctor’s age. Data were collected by using a questionnaire prepared by researchers.

Results: Of the total patients, 35.8%
(n=363) stated that they preferred doctors to wear a uniform or white coat, and
26.3% stated that wearing a white coat, uniform or civilian clothes made no
difference.

Conclusions: It significantly affected confidence in the treatment of the emergency
physician.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Emergency department, Patient, Physician

Beyaz Önlük ve Dış Görünümün Acil Hastaları Üzerindeki Önemi

Öz

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın
amacı, acil servise başvuran hastaların, kendilerini değerlendiren acil servis
doktorlarının beyaz önlük giymeleri ve diğer dış görünüm unsurları hakkındaki
düşüncelerini araştırmaktır.

Yöntem: Bu çok
merkezli cross sectional anket çalışması 4 farklı hastanenin acil servisine
başvuran 1014 hasta ile yapıldı. Beyaz önlük, sivil giyim, forma ve formanın
rengi ile doktorun yaşı yönünden hastaların tercihleri açık uçlu sorularla
araştırıldı. Veriler araştırmacılar tarafından hazırlanan bir anket formu kullanılarak
toplandı. Verilerin istatistiksel değerlendirmesinde SPSS 20.0 paket programı
kullanıldı.

Bulgular: Hastaların %35.8’i (n=363) en sık beyaz önlük ile birlikte formalı
doktorları tercih ettikleri, %26.3’ünün ise beyaz önlük, forma veya sivil
giyimin kendileri açısından farketmediklerini belirttiler.

Sonuç: Dış
görünüm, hastanın kendisini muayene eden acil doktorun tedavisine olan güvenini
önemli düzeyde etkilemektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Acil servis, Hasta, Doktor

Kaynakça

• Hippocrates, (1923). “Volume II”. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 311-2.
• Brandt LJ. (2003). “On the value of an old dress code in the new millennium”. Arch Intern Med, 163, 1277-81.
• Yamada Y, Takahashi O, Ohde S, Deshpande GA, Fukui T. (2010). “Patients’ preferences for doctors’ attire in Japan”. Intern Med, 49, 1521-6.
• Jones VA. (1999). “The white coat: why not follow suit?” JAMA, 281, 478.
• Blumhagen DW. (1979). “The doctor's white coat. The image of the physician in modern America”. Ann Intern Med, 91, 111-6.
• Gooden BR, Smith MJ, Tattersall SJ, Stockler MR. (2001). “Hospitalised patients’ views on doctors and white coats”. Med J Aust, 175, 219–22.
• Anvik T. (1990). “Doctors in a white coat-what do patients think and what do doctors do?”. Scand J Prim Health Care, 8(2), 91-4.
• Yonukura CL, Certain L, Karen SKK, Alcantara GAS, Ribeiro LG, Rodriues-Junior AL. (2013). “Perceptions of patients, physcians, and medical students on physcians’ appearance”. Rev Assoc Med Bras, 59(5), 452-9.
• Rehman SU, Nietert PJ, Cope DW, Kilpatrick AO. (2005). “What to wear today? Effect of doctor’s attire on the trust and confidence of patients”. Am J Med, 118, 1279-86.
• Atasoy N, Şenormancı Ö, Saraçlı Ö, Doğan V, Kaygısız İ, Atik L et al. (2015). “The Effect of Dressing Styles and Attitudes of Psychiatrists on Treatment Preferences: Comparison between Patients and Psychiatrists”. Arch Neuropsychiatr, 52, 380-5.
• Hochberg MS. (2007). “History of medicine The doctor’s white coat—an historical perspective”. American Medical Association Journal of Ethics, 9(4), 310-4.
• Gjerdingen DK, Simpson DE, Titus S. (1987). “Patients’ and physicians’ attitudes regarding the physicians’ professional appearance”. Arc Inter Med, 147, 1209-12.
• Kaba R, Sooriakumaran P. (2007). “The evolution of the doctor-patient relationship”. International Journal of Surgery, 5, 57-65.
• Loh W, Ng VV, Holton J. (2000). “Bacterial flora on the white coats of medical students”. J Hosp Infecti, 45, 65-8.
• Saj T, Murali PS, Bohra S, Shenoy S, Krishnanayak US. (2016). “Microbial flora on the white coats of dental health care professionals”. Indian Journal of Oral Sciences, 7(2), 107-9.
• Landry M, Dornelles AC, Hayek G, Deichamann RE. (2013). “Patient Preferences for Doctor Attire: The White Coat’s Place in the Medical Profession”. The Ochsner Journal, 13, 334-42.
• Hueston WJ, Carek SM. (2011). “Patients’ Preference for Physcian Attire: A Survey of Patients in Family Medicine Training Practices”. Fam Med, 43(9), 643-7.
• Sebo P, Hermann FR, Haller DM. (2014). “White coat in primary care: what do patients think today?”. Swiss Med Wkly, 144, w14072.
• Menahem, S., & Shvartzman, P. (1998). “Is our appearance important to our patients?”. Family Practice, 15(5), 391-7.
• Sönmez HM, Yollu B, Sevinçok L. (2010). “Hekimlerin Beyaz Önlük Giymesi Hakkında Halkın Düşünce ve Tutumları”. Journal of Inonu University Medical Faculty, 17(1), 1-6.