Doctors who wear white coats in their workplace are perceived by their patients as much more experienced, professional and friendly.
- France had 228,000 doctors on January 1, 2021, i.e. a stable workforce since 2020.
- In 2021, doctors are on average 50.7 years old, and almost half (47.9%) are now women, a trend that has been increasing for many years now.
According to a new survey published in JAMA, doctors who wear white coats at work are more respected than others. In addition, the researchers report a strong difference in patient perception between male and female physicians.
“In recent years, doctors have increasingly adopted casual attire when working, but, to our knowledge, the perception of this new type of clothing by the public has never been studied so far”, explain the authors of the study in the preamble. “Furthermore, gender bias can lead to different expectations and perceptions of female and male physicians, and can impact the relationship with patients and the building of trust”they continue.
More experienced, professional and friendly
Out of 487 respondents, doctors wearing white coats were perceived to be significantly more experienced, professional and friendly than those wearing casual jackets. Female physicians were generally judged to be less professional than their male counterparts, and were much more likely to be mistaken for an assistant or a nurse.
Our results indicate “that patients prefer their caregivers to wear white coats and that there are gender biases in the perception of doctors”conclude the authors of the study.
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