BACKGROUND Health care Associated Infections (HAIs) are a major public health problem in both developed and developing countries. They pose a severe impact in resource-poor settings, where the rate of infection is estimated to be relatively high. Therefore, this study was conducted to establish empirical evidence related to HAIs in Zambia. METHOD This was a prospective cross-sectional study c...

Physicians wearing white coats are perceived as having more authority, being more friendly and being more attractive than those not wearing white coats, and patients report that they prefer their dermatologist to wear a white coat. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of dermatologists wearing white coats on practice websites. We searched Google for dermatology practice websites...

BACKGROUND Uniforms are potential reservoirs for hospital organisms, potentially reinfecting the hands of health care workers (HCWs). The study aimed to determine the association between the bacterial contamination of HCWs' hands and uniforms (white coats and scrubs). METHODS HCWs working in 5 intensive care units had cultures obtained from their hands and uniforms (white coats or scrubs). Pa...

A WHITE COAT. THE COUNTRY DOCTOR’S BLACK BAG. A STETHOSCOPE. A snake-entwined staff. The oath of Hippocrates. The clinical acumen of Osler and the compassionate service of Schweitzer. These are the symbols and personifications of our chosen profession. One symbol of medicine since antiquity has been the Aesculapian staff. A glance through this journal will uncover the staff in the American Medi...

BACKGROUND Despite the fact that medical schools spend a considerable effort to rate clinical instructors, there is limited evidence regarding the effect of physical characteristics on instructor ratings. White coats have been shown to alter patients' perceptions of physicians although it has not been determined if preceptors who wear white coats are rated differently than their colleagues. M...

QUESTIONS UNDER STUDY Patient preference for their doctor's attire can influence their assessment of the quality of care. Most patients prefer specialists and hospital-based physicians to wear white coats, but evidence from general practitioner (GP) practices is lacking. We aimed to assess patient preference for GPs to wear white coats in Switzerland. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional su...