Patient Perception of Physician Attire Before and After Disclosure of the Risks of Microbial Contamination

Background:?The white coat is traditionally considered to be the appropriate attire for physicians but it may also be contaminated with microbes and act as a potential source of infection. We aimed to study patients’ acceptance of physicians’ attire, their underlying reasons, and their reactions to an educational intervention with regards to the risks of contamination.?Methods:?We conducted a voluntary questionnaire survey at a university teaching hospital in Hong Kong from February to July 2012. 262 patient-responses from adult inpatients and outpatients across various specialties were analysed.?Results:?White coats were highly favoured (90.8%) when compared with scrubs (22.1%), smart casual (7.6%) and formal (7.3%) wears. ’Professional image’ and ‘ease of identification’ were the main attributes of the white coat. Most patients (92.2%) would prefer doctors washing their white coats every few days, whilst 80.9% believed that doctors were actually doing so. After patients were informed of the potential risk of microbial contamination, white coats remained as the most favoured attire (66.4%), but with scrubs doubling in popularity (45.8%). Smart casual (9.2%) and formal attire (4.6%) remain the least accepted.?Conclusion:?Despite cross-infections being a significant concern within the healthcare environments, patients’ predominant acceptance and perceived attributes towards the white coat were maintained after an educational intervention on the risks of microbial contamination.