Rural Patient Preference for Physician Attire.

INTRODUCTION: Physicians need to foster healthy relationships with patients to optimize care, with time constraints and workloads being barriers. Studies have shown the importance of first impressions, which are influenced by attire. Studies of physician attire have previously been conducted in metropolitan populations. This study's goal was to investigate patient preferences for physician attire among rural populations.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study of patients was conducted in waiting rooms of five ambulatory clinics dispersed throughout rural northern Michigan. Anonymous surveys contained a series of photos of a male and a female physician, with photos within the series differing only by apparel. Participants indicated which male and female physician they would prefer in various scenarios. Participants provided demographic information and indicated their own physician's usual attire. Responses were analyzed using comparative statistics and logistic regression.
RESULTS: Survey response rate was 78% (92/118). Similar to metropolitan studies, patients preferred professional attire including white coat in almost all scenarios. For most scenarios, participants preferred professional attire for both male and female physicians, however respondents were more tolerant of casual attire for female physicians. Older participants and those whose physician dressed casually tended to be more tolerant of casual attire. Patients preferred surgical attire only in emergency situations.
CONCLUSIONS: This study of a rural population showed a clear preference for professional physician attire. In general, rural physicians should consider wearing professional attire with white coat in order to best meet patient expectations. Further investigations are needed to enhance the generalizability of study findings.