Patients Voice Issues of Dress and Address

Abstract

Establishing a positive patient care environment is one of the most basic concepts of health care professional practice. Dress and personal address are aspects of this environment that are influenced by culture and express mutual respect within the patient-provider relationship. The Patient Sensitivity Questionnaire was administered to determine how 76 Israeli inpatients perceived forms of address and dress in their health care environment. Patients preferred that their health care providers wear formal dress and be addressed by their formal titles. Respondents did not object to being addressed by their first names. Based on these results, it would seem that this Israeli sample preferred to retain the traditional provider-patient environment.