Physicians’ attire: Parents preferences in a tertiary hospital

OBJECTIVES: To assess Saudi mother’s preferences regarding Saudi children’s physicians’ attire, and its influence on the parents’ level of trust and confidence. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from January to April 2014. Our sample comprised mothers of pediatric patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings at National Guard Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Mothers answered multiple questions, including their preferences regarding male and female pediatric physicians’ attire, their preferences regarding their children’s physician’s gender, and the impact of physician’s appearance on mothers’ confidence. RESULTS: There were 259 female participants. Of all caregivers, 51.4% were 32-years-old or younger. Of those, 170 (65.6%) were educated (had completed high school or higher). Forty-four percent preferred that male physicians wear scrubs, while 5.4% preferred formal attire (tie, shirt, and trousers) and 27.8% preferred Saudi national attire (Thobe and shemagh). Most caregivers (57.9%) preferred that female physicians wear long skirts. Most caregivers (87.6%) preferred physicians to wear a white coat. Most (89.2%) believed that a physician’s appearance is very important. CONCLUSION: Gender of the treating physician is insignificant to mothers. However, the level of trust in a physician is related to his/her external appearance. Most mothers prefer their children’s physicians to wear scrubs.