Doctors’ see-through surgical masks impact relationship with patient more than realized, study says
Updated Mar 11, 2021;
Posted Mar 11, 2021
Dr. Ian Kratzke models the traditional and clear face masks that were tested in a new study.
(Photo courtesy of Dr. Muneera Kapadia/JAMA Network)TNS
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Scientists who outfitted surgeons with clear masks found that patients gave them higher marks for empathy and explaining things clearly compared with doctors who wore typical surgical masks.
The findings, published Thursday in the journal JAMA Surgery, highlight an unfortunate side effect of universal mask-wearing in medicine and one possible way to help overcome it.
More than 55,000 Californians have died of COVID-19 in the last year. Their families have struggled to memorialize them as funerals and other gatherings were restricted. The sheer weight of so many lives lost moved Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer to tears multiple times during news briefings.
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Even those of us lucky enough to keep our jobs and our health have paid a price. We saved lives by complying with California’s strict stay-at-home orders and mask mandates. But we lost a sense of community and felt isolated and alone.
The trade-off almost became too much for Leslie Grossman, 49, an actress and third-generation Angeleno.
A study led by Muneera Kapadia, MD, associate professor of surgery in the UNC School of Medicine, is the first to examine the effect of a surgeon s mask on communication with patients in the clinic setting. Results suggest that not seeing the surgeon s face may have negative consequences on the surgeon-patient relationship.
Doctors and nurses see-through masks put patients at ease latimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from latimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.