Bmc Fam Pract
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Effect of physician attire on patient perceptions of empathy in Japan: a quasi-randomized controlled trial in primary care.
There is limited quantitative research on the effect of physician attire on patient-physician relationships. This study aimed to measure the influence of Japanese family physicians' attire on the "human" aspects of medical care in terms of patient-perceived relational empathy. ⋯ This study demonstrated that physician attire (white coat or casual attire) in a primary care setting did not affect patient-perceived relational empathy overall. However, male patients of physicians wearing casual attire reported higher physician empathy. Although empathy cannot be reduced to simple variables such as attire, white coats may have a negative effect on patients, depending on the context. Family physicians should choose their attire carefully.