9 C D E


coat, or the wearing of a stethoscope, may help patients to identify a doctor in the hospital setting. Having worked in a trust


in seniority after the group wearing suits (22% v 61%). The group dressed in separates did not impress patients; they were rated least professional, trustworthy, and hygienic; most junior and least suitably dressed for general practice. They were ranked closely second in least suitable for outpatients, after the group wearing surgical scrubs (36% vs 40%). The final question asked patients to give their overall preference for dress style for female doctors. The white coat was most popular with 43% of responders choosing it. The second most preferred style was dresses (24%), which was interesting as in the previous question the only category it won was “most suitable for general practice”. However, dresses did not top any of the ‘least’ categories either; possibly the absence of a polar response suggests that on a population level, dresses were seen as acceptable attire, inspiring neither strong positive or negative emotions and therefore allowing a more open first impression to be made.


There was a statistically significant difference in the overall preference between the male and the female respondents. Although both sexes voted the white coat as their overall preferred style of dress, a higher proportion of men preferred doctors in white coats compared to women (55% vs 36%, Chi-square test 15.44, p=0.004). The second ranked choices also varied, with men preferring scrubs (30%) and women preferring dresses (33%).


Summary In summary, patients rate doctors in white coats as being more professional and trustworthy than their alternatively dressed counterparts, and overall the white coat was the preferred choice for doctors’ workwear by patients. The wearing of a white


coat made female doctors most identifiable, although many patients did not associate this dress style with being a doctor. Further visual cues that were absent in the photograph, like the printing of the word doctor on the white


where white coats are mandatory for all doctors, and having informally canvassed opinion about this enforced uniform amongst fellow work colleagues, there does not appear to be much opposition to them from our side of the fence either. The white coat keeps your other clothes clean and provides pockets for storage, and some commented that they feel more professional and smart in them. In the aforementioned


trust, the white coats are BBE-compliant and stored in vending machines around the hospital. On arrival to work, the doctor swipes their ID badge and gets a clean white coat in their (pre- programmed) size, and on leaving for the day the white coat is deposited back into the machine for laundering with another swipe of the hospital ID. Consultants get their own supply of coats with their name and specialty


embroidered on them. Cubitt et al also found that junior doctors favoured the wearing of the white coat.5 Interestingly, the


governmental working group for the uniforms and workwear policy concluded that: “There is no conclusive evidence that uniforms (or other work clothes) pose a significant hazard in terms of spreading infection”, but that “It seems that the public believe there is a risk. They do not like seeing hospital staff in uniform away from the workplace”.7 It also cautioned


against the wearing of uniforms sloppily as: “Patients expect staff to have a neat appearance. Sloppy dress might be taken to indicate a lack of professional pride, and poor personal standards.” Given this, and the body


of evidence available, it might be argued that the reintroduction of a white coat, which is left at the work place, would offer a solution to the sartorial challenges facing men and women alike in the BBE era.


Claire is a consultant ENT surgeon, Gemma and Tatiana are ST3 ENT doctors; they all work at Guy’s Hospital in London.


REFERENCES


1. DH, Johnson outlines new measures to tackle hospital bugs (2007) – www.gnn.gov.uk 2. Wilson, JA, Loveday, HP, Hoffman, PN, Pratt RJ’ Uniform: An Evidence Review of the Microbiological Significance of Uniforms and Uniform Policy in the Prevention and Control of Healthcare-Associated Infections: Report to the DH (England); J hosp infect


3. Wong, D, Nye, K, Hollis, P, Microbial Flora on Doctors’ White Coats, BMJ (1991) 4. Subramanian, P, Willis-Owen, CA, Houlihan-Burne, D, Bare Below the Elbow: What do Patients Think? Ann R Coll Surg Engl (2010)


5. Cubitt, J, Harris, A, Ramus, J, Dehn T, Retro Fashion in Surgery: The White Coat; Ann R Coll Surg Engl (2010)


6. Ellis, R, Female Doctors Fail to Break Through the Glass Ceiling, The Observer (Aug 2010) – www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/aug/22/women-doctors-top-nhs-jobs 7. Uniforms and Workwear: An Evidence Base for Developing Local Policy, DH, (2007)


FEATURE


NEW DOCTOR | VOLUME 4 | ISSUE 2 | 2011 | UNITED KINGDOM www.mps.org.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16