Examining the attitudes of patients who apply to a training and research hospital psychiatry outpatient clinic towards physicians’ attire and gender

Abstract

Objective: In this study, the preferences of patients who applied to the psychiatric outpatient clinic regarding physicians’ appearance and gender were examined. Material and Methods: A total of 403 patients who applied to the Rize Training and Research Hospital Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic were included in the study. All participants were given a questionnaire that we prepared, which included photos of their physicians’ clothing and questions about their appearance and gender. Results: Of the patients included in the study, 296 (73.4%) were female and 107 (26.6%) were male. The most preferred attire style by patients for both male and female physicians was the white coat. It was found that only the patient’s gender had an effect on the choice of physician gender (p=0.006). Being female increased the likelihood of choosing a female physician by 3.506 times. It was concluded that other independent variables did not have an effect on the choice of physician gender. Conclusion: Although there are studies reporting that patients do not attach importance to the appearance of their physicians, they still mostly prefer the white coat. It can be said that the white coat still retains its place as a garment representing medicine and physicians, as it did in ancient times, and is also preferred by patients with mental disorders. In the case of physician gender preference, the preference of female patients for female physicians can be explained by societal values and judgments.