Whither the White Coat? Oh Yeah....

Photo credit: Mike Edmond

Oh yeah, the iconic white coat is once again questioned as a fomite in this New York Times article. The SHEA expert guidance on healthcare worker apparel is referenced therein along with other quality publications from my colleagues in hospital epidemiology.

Health systems can effectively minimize patient contact with infrequently laundered white coats by way of a bare below the elbows approach to inpatient care. This can be done as an infection recommendation with nudges and role modeling. 

Without a mandate we have achieved >80% compliance with bare below the elbows at VCU Health, as reported in our latest publication on the topic.

Whither the white coat? To the back of the door hook.