Background: Conflicting evidence exists about how patients would like their doctors to dress. This is complicated by new evidence showing elements of common physician attire (white coat or ties) can be contaminated with pathogens.
Methods: We conducted a survey on a convenience sample of adult patients in three academic primary care offices in South Carolina and Ohio during the summer of 2010. The survey asked about patient preferences for physician attire and how their doctor usually dressed. After a brief statement regarding evidence of microbial contamination of coats and ties, the preferences were reexamined.
Results: A total of 432 patients participated in the survey. No clear preference was stated by patients, and patients' initial preference was not closely related to their own physicians' customary attire. After reading the statement about microbial contamination, a significant percentage of patients changed their preference to select categories that did not include a tie or a white coat and tie. This information was associated with a large shift in preference to having physicians wear dress shirts and slacks with no tie (from 16% to 41%).
Conclusions: Patients in these three academic family medicine practices did not show any consistent preference for their physicians' attire. However, providing information about potential microbial contamination of clothing was associated with a shift in patient preferences for physicians not wearing a tie and a white coat.