Patients and Parents Prefer Scrubs: An Analysis of Pediatric Orthopaedic Physician Attire in the Post-COVID Pandemic Era

Abstract

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated that dress style can influence a patient's impression of a physician's compassion, trust, and competency. The purpose of this study was to understand the preferences pediatric patients and their caregivers have towards physician attire in the orthopaedic outpatient setting. The authors hypothesized that patients and parents/guardians would have no preference regarding the use of white coats and would prefer scrubs over other attire options.Methods: Between January and May 2022, patients aged 10 to 21 and their parents/guardians presenting to an outpatient orthopaedic office visit were approached to complete an anonymous, voluntary survey. The survey consisted of preference questions related to white coats, male physicians' attire, and female physicians' attire. Categorical variables were analyzed using Pearson Chi-Square with p≤0.05 used as threshold for statistical significance. A kappa analysis was performed to compare agreement between pediatric patients' and their respective parents/guardians' responses.Results: A total of 200 participants' surveys were included in analysis: 100 patients and 100 parents/guardians.Patients had an average age of 14.1±2.4 years and were 47.0% female, while parents/guardians had an average age of 47.3±6.0 years and were 76.0% female. A total of 71.5% of participants felt neutral toward the use of white coats in the outpatient office. Although scrubs were the most preferred attire option for male and female physicians for both patients (male: 46%; female: 44%) and parents/guardians (male: 41%; female: 42%), there were significant differences in the overall preference profile (male: p=0.027; female: 0.032). There was discordance in responses between patients and their parents/guardians (kappa=0.15–0.28, none to minimal agreement), with patients more frequently preferring casual and parents/guardians more frequently preferring formal attire.Conclusions: After analyzing 200 surveys, this study found that while the majority of pediatric patients and their parents/guardians felt neutral about their provider wearing a white coat, both groups were most likely to prefer both male and female physicians wear scrubs during outpatient orthopaedic office visits. With the greatest proportion of all participants preferring scrubs to other attire options, the authors suggest pediatric orthopaedic surgeons consider wearing scrubs during outpatient visits.Level of Evidence: IIKey Concepts•Pediatric patients and their parents/guardians preferred their provider wear scrubs during outpatient visits rather than other attire options.•Pediatric patients and their parents/guardians felt neutral on if their provider wore a white coat.•The greatest proportion of subjects felt neutral about their strength of preference in attire.