Effects of clear vs standard masks on communication with surgical patients

Editor's Note

In this study, surgical patients reported improved communication when their surgeons wore clear masks rather than standard masks in surgical outpatient clinics.

This randomized trial of 200 patients in 15 surgeons’ clinics spanning seven specialties finds that when surgeons wore clear rather than standard masks, the patients rated their surgeons significantly higher in:

• providing understandable explanations (95% vs 78%)
• demonstrating empathy (99% vs 85%)
• building trust (94% vs 72%).

Conversely, 53% of surgeons were unlikely to choose the clear mask over the standard mask.

The findings suggest that not seeing the surgeon’s face may have negative consequences for surgeon-patient relationships, the authors say.