Should Doctors Wear Ties?

[vseehua]

Normally when we visit the hospital, the doctors will be dressed in formal including the ties. We all know that ties dangle around and will pick up various kinds of dirty stuffs from the patients during the doctors' rounds. What is your opinion regarding the matter? Should the rule that doctors must wear ties be abolished for health reasons?

more here (http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/5/1/nation/17589719&sec=nation)

MMA to ministry: No neckties, please

By AUDREY EDWARDS

PETALING JAYA: No neckties, please. Doctors want the Health Ministry to release them from regulations requiring them to wear the item while on hospital ward rounds.

?The point is that neckties are not the most frequently washed apparel and there have been studies that show that neckties carry contaminants that could cause infection,? said Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Datuk Dr Teoh Siang Chin.

?And when doctors are doing their clinical rounds, they dangle all over the place. And how many people wash their ties? They require dry cleaning and that can cost about RM15 per tie,? he said.

Dr Teoh, however, acknowledged that doctors who wore neckties inspired confidence and displayed a professional aura and that continuously washing one?s hands was the best way to prevent infection.

In a 2004 study, it was shown that the ties doctors wear carried infection-causing bacteria that could potentially be transmitted to patients.

The study, which looked at 42 neckties worn by doctors at the New York Hospital Medical Centre of Queens found that nearly half of the neckties contained bacteria which can cause dangerous conditions such as pneumonia and blood infections.

Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said the policy of requiring doctors to wear their white coats, shirts and neckties would not change unless there was a ?body of evidence? which proved that neckties caused infections to spread.

?It is a long established policy that we have had since Merdeka. Doctors must maintain their dignity and dress properly,? he said. seriously i hope the people up there can use their brains instead of blantantly denying everything requested because it's 'tradition.'

[sore_four_eyes]

Definitely remove the ties... just watch any of the medical soaps on TV. Do the doctors wear ties? Not only is it uncomfortable (okay, maybe just for the young 'uns) but it's unpractical.

[youngyew]

I am not sure about ties, but the most important thing a doctor should do to reduce cross-infection is to wash hands between patients.

I am neutral about ties.

[Shoblast]

I don't like ties. I don't know why the hell we even wear them. How is wearing this dangly bit of cloth around your neck be the epitome of civilization and dignity?

Putting this noose around your neck first thing in the morning is not the way to start a day.

[vseehua]

neither do i... i just don't like the feeling that my neck is being choked all the time...

we malaysians really need more practical rules...

[sweetiojj]

hi..i am definately agreee that ties should be removed when doctors are doing clinical rounds. it was proved that half of the ties worn by doctors containing bacteria that will lead to fatal disease.. i think our doctor assosiation should ponder deeply into this serious matter.. this is not the matter aboout the glory or image of the doctor profesision. it is bout the patient and doctors'lives.. if u all want the doctor to be look like a professional they should only wear the tuxudo and long sleeves shirt. it would be fine right coz it still refect the professsional image of a doctor. insted of wearing hazardous ties. it also affects doctors family members as well. so think for your loved ones before it is too late.

[vseehua]

obviously some people high up there place more emphasis on how you look rather than how you perform...

[jayden]

So how often do you wash your tie anyway?

[forEVA]

of coz!! 8)





to strangle the doctors who gave bad/wrong treatments.. heh.. all the doctor wannabes out there, watch out.. youngyew for one.. :twisted:

[livern]

God. How long did it take u to come up with this senseless topic. hahaha.

[vseehua]

So how often do you wash your tie anyway?less than once per year... then again, i never wear ties...

[shimmi]

I used to wear ties to during my highschool years. and i think it's very uncomfartable. I hope doctors don't have to wear ties anymore since it'll transfer germs or whatever to their patients.
p/s : i always wash my ties, but my friends will laugh at me. They said u only have to wash tie once a three month. @<hidden>@<hidden>

[vseehua]

I used to wear ties to during my highschool years. and i think it's very uncomfartable. I hope doctors don't have to wear ties anymore since it'll transfer germs or whatever to their patients.
p/s : i always wash my ties, but my friends will laugh at me. They said u only have to wash tie once a three month. @<hidden>@<hidden>try do that to your silk made ties... i am sure they will last more than 3 washes...or 3 months :twisted:

[yhc]

i know that good appearance doesn't mean that the person has good performance. If the doctors wear ties, this might be certain unhygienic conditions which may lead to health problems especially to the patients. On the other hand, if they dont wear ties, they might, and again i repeat..might feel relaxed or have lesser sense of responsibility as a doctor. ..just a psychology matter, after the whole busy day, taking off the ties and relax. a tie might work as a reminder for them.

well, i'm neutral about this matter too, the most important thing is that they do their duties as doctors...if they wanna wear ties, make sure that they r clean, if not, nothing seems wrong as well.

[Butters]

Dr.House doesn't wear a tie.......

[youngyew]

I am currently doing research in the hospital. During the day, I would have to talk to the patients and invite them to participate in the research that we are doing.

When I asked my supervisor about the dress code, he told me "yes you have to wear a tie, because most of our patients are elderly and they would expect a formal wear and ties on their doctors".

Oh well...

[Fourthshifter]

That will clearly affect the satisfaction of life.

[yeng]

then change to bow tie la..
more leng chai..
carry less bacteria..
but i always i go 2 hosp ..
doctors do not wear necktie.....

[youngyew]

then change to bow tie la..
more leng chai..
carry less bacteria..
but i always i go 2 hosp ..
doctors do not wear necktie.....
Bow tie makes you look like a waiter.

[yeng]

then change to bow tie la..
more leng chai..
carry less bacteria..
but i always i go 2 hosp ..
doctors do not wear necktie.....
Bow tie makes you look like a waiter.

y should we bond to our ....
reconise your job by what u wear?
eh?

[youngyew]

Yeah nobody should, but it's how perception works anyway. People see a school uniform, they know that's a student; people see a white doctor coat, they assume it's a doctor.

[Zeroth]

There's is a degree of expectation of patients from their doctors, and having a proper formal tie is one of them. However, these expectations can be changed. For example, the hospitals that I'm in now doesn't require a white coat anymore, which used to be a very important dress code.

[jane_gun]

Yeah, many of us are aware about the "infection / contamination" problem with wearing neckties - my clinical tutor once suggested to the guys in the class that if they want to wear neckties, it'll be better to wear some sort of a tiepin (or something like that) that they can "clip / pin" their tie to their shirt so that the tie doesn't go dangling around contracting bacteria or even getting entangled with some hospital equipment! Hope this helps with those who need to wear ties...

[youngyew]

A relevant article about the latest guideline in UK which advised against doctors wearing ties:

http://medicine.com.my/wp/?p=2615

[Zeroth]

Doctors should be reminded to clean their stethoscopes too.. It's so freaking dirty..

[SHuLy]

NHS has yet to give out the official ruling regarding ties. So, the students have to wear them, and most docs/consultants still don them. but so far, i have noticed that all of them pin the ties to the shirt, or if they forgot to do so, they will tuck in between the gaps created by the shirt buttons.

white coats are a must for us students, except in OT and child clinics of course.

YES!! fully agree with zeroth! my gosh. it's not handwashing that should be the main issue. it's the stethoscope! i have not seen doctors (with the except of one!) clean their stethoscope after using them - to at least 10 patients! from their arm (BP) to their chest, back and tummy!

[Fourthshifter]

hmmm
no


doctors should try hanfu for a change
then they will have a good reason not to wear a tie

[tehjiao]

I believe that wearing tie is not practical. None of the male doctor like it.

[Zeroth]

Most hospitals in Australia has stopped using white coats. It's unnecessary and dirty :P

I like surgical gowns though.. they are cool :P

Anyone know how to clean their stetoscopes? :P I only wipe the surface with alcohol.