Written by Rebecca White
Spoon Feed
Patients wearing hospital gowns during simulated hospital visits reported increased feelings of vulnerability and disempowerment compared to patients wearing personal clothes.
This seams serious…
We routinely ask patients to change into gowns during hospital visits for purposes of examination, infection control, and treatment. However, observational studies suggest gowning patients may not be a totally benign practice. Do hospital gowns negatively impact our patients? This randomized clinical trial investigated whether wearing hospital gowns contributes to patient dehumanization. Seventy-four adults were randomized to wear a gown or personal clothing during a simulated hospital admission. Participants wearing gowns reported significantly higher dehumanization scores (mean 23.47, 95%CI 20.58-26.37) than those in personal clothes (mean 18.03, 95%CI 16.36-19.69; P = .001). No significant differences were observed in speech metrics or blood pressure. Limitations of this study were its small sample size, homogeneous patient population (most patients reported tertiary education and European or Asian ethnicity at a single center in New Zealand), and self-reported data from self-selecting volunteer participants. Data were also collected during simulated medical encounters at a medical school rather than a real clinical setting.
How does this change my practice?
Getting a patient undressed and into a gown is often a necessary step in the thorough evaluation and treatment of our ED patients. However, it is worth thinking twice to consider whether a gown is necessary. I’ll keep the results of this study in mind to potentially reduce use in lower acuity patients to enhance patient experience.
Source
Patient Gowns and Dehumanization During Hospital Admission: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Dec 2;7(12):e2449936. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.49936. PMID: 39656461
