What you wear does not affect the credibility of your treatment: A blinded randomized controlled study

Traeger, AC; Skinner, IW; Hübscher, M; Henschke, N; Moseley, GL; McAuley, JH

What you wear does not affect the credibility of your treatment: A blinded randomized controlled study

Traeger, AC Skinner, IW

Hübscher, M Henschke, N Moseley, GL McAuley, JH

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Patient Education and Counseling, 2017, 100 (1), pp. 104 - 111
Issue Date:: 2017-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Traeger, AC	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Skinner, IW https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3288-0519	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Hübscher, M	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Henschke, N	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Moseley, GL	en_US
dc.contributor.author	McAuley, JH	en_US
dc.date.available	2020-05-25T19:08:55Z
dc.date.issued	2017-01-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Patient Education and Counseling, 2017, 100 (1), pp. 104 - 111	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0738-3991	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/112952
dc.description.abstract	© 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd Objective Professional appearance is easily modifiable, and might alter the effects of a clinical encounter. We aimed to determine whether professional attire influences a patient's perception of treatment credibility. Methods We performed a single-blind randomized controlled study on 128 patients with acute non-specific low back pain who were about to receive treatment in primary care. The treating clinician was randomly allocated to wear formal attire (experimental condition) or casual attire (control condition) to the consultation. Clinicians provided a standardized briefing on the rationale behind the patient's forthcoming treatment. Treatment credibility (Credibility and Expectancy Questionnaire) was assessed immediately after this briefing. Results All patients received the experimental or control condition as allocated and provided complete primary outcome data. Formal attire had no effect on perceived treatment credibility (Mean difference between groups 1.2 [95%CI-1.1 to 3.5]). Age was the only significant predictor of treatment credibility; older patients rated treatment credibility higher (Beta = 0.16 [95%CI 0.08 to 0.24]). Conclusion In a trial setting, whether or not a clinician is formally dressed has no effect on perceptions of treatment credibility in patients with acute low back pain. Practice implication Clinicians should dress comfortably without fear of losing credibility.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Patient Education and Counseling	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.pec.2016.08.009	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Public Health	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Low Back Pain	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Treatment Outcome	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Single-Blind Method	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Physician-Patient Relations	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Trust	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Perception	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Clothing	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Middle Aged	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Physicians	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Patients	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Professional Practice	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Referral and Consultation	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Patient Satisfaction	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Female	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Male	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Surveys and Questionnaires	en_US
dc.title	What you wear does not affect the credibility of your treatment: A blinded randomized controlled study	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	1	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	100	en_US
utslib.for	1106 Human Movement and Sports Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	1701 Psychology	en_US
utslib.for	11 Medical and Health Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Graduate School of Health
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.issue	1	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	100	en_US

Abstract:

© 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd Objective Professional appearance is easily modifiable, and might alter the effects of a clinical encounter. We aimed to determine whether professional attire influences a patient's perception of treatment credibility. Methods We performed a single-blind randomized controlled study on 128 patients with acute non-specific low back pain who were about to receive treatment in primary care. The treating clinician was randomly allocated to wear formal attire (experimental condition) or casual attire (control condition) to the consultation. Clinicians provided a standardized briefing on the rationale behind the patient's forthcoming treatment. Treatment credibility (Credibility and Expectancy Questionnaire) was assessed immediately after this briefing. Results All patients received the experimental or control condition as allocated and provided complete primary outcome data. Formal attire had no effect on perceived treatment credibility (Mean difference between groups 1.2 [95%CI-1.1 to 3.5]). Age was the only significant predictor of treatment credibility; older patients rated treatment credibility higher (Beta = 0.16 [95%CI 0.08 to 0.24]). Conclusion In a trial setting, whether or not a clinician is formally dressed has no effect on perceptions of treatment credibility in patients with acute low back pain. Practice implication Clinicians should dress comfortably without fear of losing credibility.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/112952