SAUDI PATIENTS DESIRE REGARDING PHYSICIAN ATTIRE: CROSS-SECTIONAL HOSPITAL-BASED STUDY IN TABUK CITY, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA, 2016

Background: Nowadays, physicians’ attire is considered a meaningful in medical professionalism. It reflects a patient's impression of the doctor as an important factor in a clinical consultation. Objectives: To determine the Saudi patient's preference physician’s attire and confirm its influence on patient perceptions including satisfaction and confidence in their physicians. Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in 2016 among patients in outpatient, inpatient medical clinics and waiting rooms of KSAFH, Tabuk, KSA. A self administered survey was carried out in addition to showing pictures of identical doctor wearing five different dress styles. It included questions regarding their preference of physician’s attire, influence of physician’s appearance on patient's confidence, if physician’s appearance reflects the respect toward the patients and toward the career, and their preferences regarding their physician’s gender also if they trust female physician who covers her face. Results: The study results included 371 patients. Overall, (64.2%) of the patients interviewed preferred doctors to wear suit with white coat, while (26.7%) preferred scrub with white coat. A (4.9% and 4.3%) preferred suit only and Saudi national form respectively and no preference for scrub only (0%). Majority of patients (83.8%) assumed that physician attire reflects patients respect, influence patient`s trust (88.1%) and reflects career respect (95.7%). Approaching (45.8%) of the patients expressed no preference regarding physician’s gender and almost (31.3%) of them preferred female physician that covers her face. There was a statistically significant difference between male and female patients regarding preferred physician`s gender as (54.7%) of male patients preferred male physicians compared to none preferred female physicians whereas (25.5%) of female patients preferred male physicians compared to (28%) preferred female physicians, p<0.001. Conclusions: In general, patients prefer suit with white coat because it is more professional and respectful. Half of the patients expressed no preference regarding physician’s gender and almost one third of them preferred female physician that covers her face.