Abstract

EYMANN, Alfredo M. et al. La vestimenta del médico pediatra en el consultorio hospitalario. Arch. argent. pediatr. [online]. 2005, vol.103, n.3, pp.212-217. ISSN 0325-0075.

Objective. To assess preferences of families attending to an outpatient setting at a community hospital about pediatricians attire. Population, material and methods. Families attending an outpatient facility for well-child visits or spontaneous demand during five consecutive days, from 9 am to 8 pm, were selected. Those who consulted a pediatric subspecialty were excluded. A series of five photographs with a doctor in the same attitude, but with different clothing was shown. A questionnaire with eight items was administered by an advanced medical student. Two series of photographs were used, one of male doctors and other of female doctors with equivalent changes of clothing (white lab coat, formal clothing with and without white coat, informal clothing with and without white coat). The randomization of the series of male or female photographs was determined by admission number. The questionnaire asked families and children older than 6 years which pediatrician they would choose. They were also asked which paediatrician they would not choose, and if the pediatrician’s attire was an important issue for their selection. Stata 6.0 program was used for data analysis. Results. 355 questionnaires were completed (49.5%) of the families received the female photograph series and the remaining 50.5%, the male series. 82% of parents chose an attire related with health care (white lab coat or jackets) as did 79% of the children. Considering the election of the pediatrician, 50% of parents considered that the attire was very or moderately important, while the remaining 50% told that it was of little or no importance at all. Eighty eight per cent of the children answered that they would not choose a paediatrician that did not use a white coat. Fifty nine percent of the parents stated that the chosen attire was similar to the one their pediatrician used, while 41% preferred a different attire. Conclusion. Parents and children older than 6 years preferred pediatricians using an attire related to health care and they did not choose pediatricians dressed with street clothes.

Keywords : White coat; Outpatient clinic; Patient-physician relationship.

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