Remember That Study About Patient Preference for the White Coat? Here’s Another Thought

We told you about a study that asked patients to weigh in on their preferences for how healthcare providers should dress. The choices ranged from office-casual to traditional business attire to the clinical white coat with a tie, or with a dress shirt for women. White-coat-and-tie or dress shirt proved to be the preferred attire because it conveyed both business formality and clinical authority. An article just published in The New York Times has now taken a look at that study within the context of another study published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology back in 2016. That one revealed that white coats, specifically, are often contaminated with infectious organisms, including MRSA. Overall, according to the 2016 study, up to 42% of white coats tested were positive for gram-negative rods and as many as 16% were positive for MRSA. The problem is not limited to white coats, of course; the study focused on that attire because it’s worn commonly. Other researchers have focused on exam room equipment, stethoscopes, and even neckties. All are capable of carrying bacteria from one exam room—and one patient—to the next. The unifying theme of all those studies is, do what you can to keep it clean. Have an ample supply of clean white coats and other clothing items on hand. Consider swapping items out periodically throughout the day if feasible. JUCM looked at the broader topic of how to ensure your healthcare environment is a healthy environment for urgent care patients. You can read Toward Ensuring Patient Safety in Urgent Care in our archive.