The Role of Gender and Attire in Patient Perception of Foot and Ankle Physicians

CATEGORY: Patient Care INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE: Initial impressions between physician and patient typically occur through the medium of attire and potentially gender and can significantly impact the comfort and trust of patients in the clinical setting. The influence that foot and ankle orthopaedic physicians have on their patient’s footwear choices is of particular importance because it potentially affects clinical outcomes. Unlike other specialties where physician appearance or gender serves as a basis for mere initial perception, the nature of foot & ankle orthopedics allows for direct influence on a component of their care. The purpose of this study was to examine whether orthopedic physicians may serve as role models for healthy behavior and to elucidate the influence of patient perception on their orthopedic-related decision making. METHODS: In this prospective, cross-sectional study, individuals =18 years of age that had the ability to make their own footwear decisions were invited to participate. Study subjects completed a 22-question survey following their office visit with one of four foot and ankle surgeons (2 female, 2 male). Quantitative assessment included: demographic data, the level of perception and attention given to their physician’s shoe choices, and various factors that affect decision making process when purchasing orthopedic-related footwear. Chi-square analysis was used to evaluate the categorical variables. RESULTS: A total of 250 patients completed the study, with a normal distribution of ages between 18-81. 62% (n=154) had seen their physician multiple times and the remaining were new patients. Female patients preferred using recommendations from same- sex surgeons (41%) much more than males (6%). However, given the option of combining male/female opinions, 45% of females chose that option whereas 72% of males preferred combing male/female physician opinions when deciding on footwear. A sizable minority of patients noticed the type of shoe their physician was wearing that day, 32% (n=81). 52% (n=130) agreed that a surgeon’s own shoe choices should reflect the desirable attributes of a shoe. Patients ranked the shoe feel (51%) and their doctor’s recommendations (28%) as the top factors when deciding shoe-wear. CONCLUSION: Our study indicates that a significant portion of patients are mindful about and do consider their physician’s gender as well as physical appearance including shoe choices. While this influence was greater for females, patient footwear choices are affected across most demographics. The impact of patients’ awareness on medical action indicates that perception of care may hold significant value. Identifying the factors that influence orthopaedic decision-making can aid in accurately targeting patient education, enhancing physician-patient interactions, and improving clinical outcomes.