• Kazuhiro Kamata, Akira Kuriyama, Vineet Chopra, Sanjay Saint, Nathan Houchens, Christopher M Petrilli, Latoya Kuhn, Ashley Snyder, Naoto Ishimaru, Hiromizu Takahashi, and Yasuharu Tokuda.
• Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases Unit, National Institute for Infectious Diseases "Lazzaro Spallanzani," Rome, Italy.
• J Hosp Med. 2020 Apr 1; 15 (4): 204-210.

BackgroundPrevious studies have shown that patients have specific expectations regarding physician dress. Japan has a cultural background that is in many ways distinct from western countries. Thus, physician attire may have a different impact in Japan.MethodsWe conducted a multicenter, cross-sectional study to examine patients' preferences for and perceptions of physician attire in Japan. The questionnaire was developed using photographs of either a male or female physician dressed in seven different forms of attire, and it was randomly distributed to inpatients and outpatients. Respondents were asked to rate the provider pictured; they were also asked to provide preferences for different forms of attire in varied clinical settings. Preference was evaluated for five domains (knowledgeable, trustworthy, caring, approachable, and comfortable). We also assessed variation in preferences for attire by respondent characteristics.ResultsA total of 1,233 (61%) patients indicated that physician dress was important, and 950 (47%) patients agreed that it influenced their satisfaction with care. Compared with all forms, casual attire with a white coat was the most preferred dress. Older patients more often preferred formal attire with a white coat in primary care and hospital settings. In addition, physician attire had a greater impact on older respondents' satisfaction and experience.ConclusionThe majority of Japanese patients indicated that physician attire is important and influenced their satisfaction with care. Geography, settings of care, and patient age appear to play a role in patient preferences.

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