Factors That Affect Trust Between Physicians and Patients

The goal of this study is to evaluate patient perception and preference in physician attire. Eligible subjects admitted to medical-surgical hospital unit will complete a survey expressing perceptions and preference regarding physician attire.

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Key information

Conditions

Trust

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Loma Linda University Medical Center

Loma Linda, California, 92350, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Leah Tudtud-Hans, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

909-558-1000 ext. 4484

About this study

Hospitalists (internal medicine physicians) work in one week rotations. Each hospitalist will serve as a control.

During one week rotation, the hospitalist will wear surgical scrubs throughout the rotation. At the end of the rotation (or prior to subject discharge, whichever occurs first), the hospitalist will ask subjects seen during that rotation to complete the survey regarding the hospitalist attire.

During a second week of rotation, the hospitalist will wear professional attire with a white coat throughout that rotation. At the end of the rotation (or prior to subject discharge, whichever occurs first), the hospitalist will ask subjects seen during that rotation to complete the survey regarding the hospitalist attire.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Subjects 18 years of ages or older
Admitted to LLUMC medical surgical unit, under care of internal medicine physician
Primary language is English or Spanish

Exclusion criteria

Less than 18 years of age
altered mental status or severe dementia
Hearing or vision impairment that would preclude subject from completing survey

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

Patient Preference for Type of Physician Attire

Time frame: At the end of hospitalist rotation or prior to subject discharge, whichever occurs first, not to exceed one week from study enrollment.

Subjects will complete a one-time survey via paper or iPAD. The survey is based on the Modified Trust in Physician Scale: A Measure to Assess Interpersonal Trust in Patient Physician Relationships with answers provided on a 5 point Likert Scale where 1 means strongly disagree, 2 means disagree, 3 is neutral, 4 means agree and 5 means strongly agree. The total score will reflect patient preference for traditional physician attire (street clothes and white coat) or casual physician attire (surgical scrubs). A high score would reflect a favorable response for the physician wearing traditional attire.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Leah Tudtud-Hans, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

909 558 1000 ext. 44884

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Loma Linda University

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start: 2023
Primary completion: 2026
Study completion: 2026
First posted: Nov 9, 2023
Registry last updated: Feb 4, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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