Objectives: To determine hospitalised patients' feelings, perceptions and a
ttitudes towards doctors and how these are affected by whether or not docto
rs wear a white coat.
Design: Cross-sectional questionnaire survey.
Setting: The medical and surgical wards of two Sydney teaching hospitals, o
n one day in January 1999.
Patients: 154 of 200 consecutive patients (77%).
Main outcome measures: The effects of white-coat-wearing on patients' feeli
ngs and ability to communicate and on their perceptions of the doctor; why
patients think doctors wear white coats and their preferences for the weari
ng of white coats and doctors' attire in general; and patients' rating of t
he importance of these effects and preferences.
Results: Patients reported that white-coat-wearing improved all aspects of
the patient-doctor interaction, and that when doctors wore white coats they
seemed more hygienic, professional, authoritative and scientific. The more
important that patients considered an aspect, the greater the positive eff
ect associated with wearing a white coat. From a list of doctors' reasons f
or wearing white coats, patients thought that doctors wore white coats beca
use it made them seem more professional, hygienic, authoritative, scientifi
c, competent, knowledgeable and approachable. 36% of the patients preferred
doctors to wear white coats, 19% preferred them not to wear white coats an
d 45% did not mind.
Conclusions. Patients reported feeling more confident and better able to co
mmunicate with doctors who wore white coats. The recognition, symbolism and
formality afforded by a white coat may enhance communication arid facilita
te the doctor-patient relationship.