Physician etiquette in pediatric ophthalmology.

Dr. Nelson has no financial or proprietary interest in the materials presented herein. doi: 10.3928/01913913-20110902-01 Parents’ initial impression of their child’s encounter with their pediatric ophthalmologist forms the basis for how parents interact at that visit and subsequently with their child’s pediatric ophthalmologist. The manner in which their pediatric ophthalmologist greets them affects the trust and confidence they have in the decision making ability of their physician. I was surprised that almost 58% of parents in the study by Reddy et al. in this issue preferred that their pediatric ophthalmologist wear a white coat. I always felt that a white coat was intimidating for young children. Perhaps the parents who preferred a white coat were generalizing about their preference for attire for all of their encounters with physicians of other specialties as well. It would be interesting to know if these parents who preferred a white coat also preferred a more formal introduction to the pediatric ophthalmologist. It would also be of interest to know what percentage of pediatric ophthalmologists currently wear a white coat when examining their patients and how they greet and address their parents.