To dress up for doctor’s appointments?

If you're not doing anything differently for the doctor, what was the point of the thread?

I've been told to wear loose, comfortable, elastic-waisted clothes for my upcoming outpatients procedure BTW. And no makeup, no nailpolish, a bunch of other things I can't remember but wouldn't have been doing anyway.

While I accept unconscious bias is a thing, I think it's more than just clothes and makeup (it better be, given I wear make up perhaps 2-3 times a year and am always clean but not smartly dressed) and more accent, occupation, level of education and so on. I am obese, and a scruff, but have always had excellent treatment from the NHS staff I have interacted with. That's been quite a lot over the last few years as carer for my elderly mother. It's quite depressing to think that that might just be because we're articulate and relatively well-spoken and not drunk/offensive/aggressive. My mother on the other hand credits her "Fuck the Tories pants" ....

Actually, sadly, I couldn't agree more. I've been shocked at the dismissive way I've been treated by many doctors over the years. It's got so bad that for my next appointment in a few months, my husband suggested he's coming with me!

I've had hospital staff assume I was a doctor in hospitals before because I was dressed in (what I think of as) normal clothes and most other patients were in tracksuits. This was for audiology, not deaths door treatment. It wasn't something I'd noticed before or since.

If a dr is biased no amount of dressing up would help. I feel more dismissed and judged because of my ethnicity, sex, age and weight.
I would say your home address and accent have a bigger effect particularly as many clothes look samey these days and casual clothes are the norm.

Are you in the US? Because you can sue in the UK without personal resources if your case is compelling enough.

I do think you have a point (sadly!) I dont bother to dress up (maternity leave, small baby! Can’t be bothered! 😂) but I do sometimes send my DH with the children and he is often wearing his work suit and tie and I’d say he is very good at getting taken seriously. Unconscious classism snd sexism maybe.

He once went to the doctors because he felt a bit generally ‘under the weather’ and they did urine, full bloods the works!! I said if I’d gone there and just said that I’d have been sent on my merry way!!!

It's a documented phenomenon, and as well as the class bias, there's also a significant race bias. Patients who aren't "turned out" properly are more likely to be dismissed as malingering or drug seeking. It's not just clothes but also accent, vocabulary etc.

Health care workers who insist they don't judge on appearance are being naive about the impact of unconscious bias, and should reflect on how many notes they've read from colleagues that reflect it.

To be honest I don’t know. It’s a bit confusing but I think if your face fits, you’ll get good service regardless of what you wear/hair/makeup. Whether that’s having a good accent/voice, an attractive natural face, a good figure etc.

For me personally I’ve been to my doctors with/without makeup, in work attire, in gym attire, in casual clothes etc and haven’t really noticed a difference. If anything, I found they were slightly more helpful before I asked them for mental health support. So I was judged more for my health needs themselves as opposed to what I looked like.

Purely interested in your health and well being
I visited a doctor recently in my slippers and work pants.
When you are sick no one cares or feels like being so Shallow.
Your small minded to think it matters.
Do u have private insurance and specialists? Hahaaha

Your examples are at the extreme end. There is a big difference between dirty joggers, smelling of fags (although surely any smoker smells of fags?) and weed and dirt under their fingernails and me going along in my trackpants and sweatshirt (which is what I happen to be wearing at present, and if I had a GP appointment would turn up in those).

I have never felt judged by a doctor, or any other professional, in my whole life and I have never got "dressed up" to visit them.

Maybe it's a UK thing - in that case I'm pleased I don't live there!

I was in hospital this week (last week now) and wore a navy cotton dress, lightweight dark coat, no make-up.

Looked a bit austere I guess. Don't think the doctor was particularly bothered by my appearance one way or the other, she was asking questions about the illness and was worried at one point I might be in pain. It was obvious I didn't understand about the illness but then my consultant doesn't either!

Generally in all aspects of life, the better you're dressed/put together then the better you're treated. Not always obviously, but most of the time that's how it is.

Though, I do recall my one of son's almost fatal asthma attacks (blue/voided bowel and bladder/out for the count), phoning my mother wailing that he was dying and to get to the hospital toot sweet, she took the best part of an hour and turned up to A&E in full makeup and jewellery. I was in my PJs/Uggs with a coat over the top, (happened at 6.00 a.m.) the ambos had stayed with us, hovering in the background, worried sick. By the time she arrived, he was awake and even talking a little. One must dress up to view the corpse, apparently. Generational, I always assumed.

I don’t do this to go to the Dr, I wear something clean and comfortable that is easy to pull up the sleeves for blood tests etc. That said, I have experienced being treated differently generally (not by Dr) if I’m wearing scruffier clothes like a hoodie v smarter clothes.

Makeup and hair to go to the doc? WTAF? Glad I don't live in your milieu.

If dress as I normally do. I'm clean, my clothes are clean, my hair is brushed and whatever make up I normally wear. I don't wear things like joggers and hoodies, but if they are clean nothing wrong with that. Doctor couldn't care less.

I think doctors are definitely classist and sexist.

However I don't think they judge patients on clothing so much as accent, vocabulary, levels of intelligence and education. The more informed, articulate and confident you are, the better care you can expect.

I don't worry about clothing for appointments because across my lifetime I can't recall encountering any doctors who were dressed up or particularly stylish themselves. That's not intended as a judgement, I don't care what doctors wear because I'm consulting with them for their skills and knowledge, not their dress sense or presentation.

I think being clean and showered is important and also wearing clothes that can be quickly removed. Other than that they are too busy to care.

If you want to be taken more seriously I think I'd try:

1. being male
2. mentioning working for the NHS
3. being educated, articulate and confident

I genuinely thought it would be because you fancy your doctor 😂

It's definitely a class thing - but the "well dressed" presentation is only a small part. Donkeys years ago sociologist Basil Bernstein described elaborate and restricted language codes. Those using more elaborate forms of language- matching those of their drs. teachers solicitors etc - report receiving better service/outcomes than those with restricted language codes. Sadly it's still the case.

I have visited the doctor in both looks - casual and professional. I don’t feel I have received worse care in the casual outfit.

There are studies that show that men are taken more seriously by doctors. Unfortunately, I agree that how you present yourself matters with drs more often than not.

I've been in hospital a lot. I've seen this so many times. Not all staff by any means so I fully believe some have never experienced/seen it. But trust me it happens.