Beyond appearance
Patient perspectives on the role of physician attire in trust
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19549149 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Mohammad Kazem Sarpoolaki (0000-0001-7400-0503, Imam Khomeini Hospital), Hanieh Tavasoli (0009-0001-5913-8683, Imam Khomeini Hospital), Amirali Sohrabpoor (Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Research Center of Iran), Fariba Asghari (0000-0002-9807-6390, Tehran University of Medical Sciences) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 18 |
| Pages | 5-5 |
| Publication date | 2025-07-20 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Medical Ethics and History of Medicine (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2008-0387 • E-ISSN: 2008-0387 |
| Publisher | Knowledge E DMCC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.18502/jmehm.v18i5.19209 |
| PMID | 41018554 |
| OpenAlex | W4412499953 |
| Language | EN |
This study examines the role of physician attire in building patient trust compared to other professional behaviors, identifying key attire-related factors that influence this trust. The study consisted of two parts. In the first part, patients and their companions participated in in-depth interviews to identify factors affecting their trust in doctors, including appearance. The findings from these interviews were used to create a survey questionnaire. In the second part of the study, 120 patients and their companions from two teaching hospitals were surveyed about the importance of doctors' attire and professional behaviors identified earlier. Qualitative interviews revealed three trust-building themes: general behavior (honesty and kindness), providing information (about diseases and necessary measures), and appearance (white coat and cleanliness). Quantitatively, 120 participants rated providing information (81%) and honesty (74.2%) as the most important factors in building trust, with appearance rated as very important (40%) but less critical (P
Family medicine · Empathy and Medical Education · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology
| Highly cited | No |
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