A novel method for reducing confusion in hospital corridors

The similar appearance of physicians wearing white lab coats as they walk down hospital corridors often leads to cases of mistaken identities. Although surgeons are readily identifiable by their scrubs, it is much more difficult to distinguish other specialists. This often leads to confusion among nurses and other doctors who might be wondering if the nearby group of physicians are, for instance, internists, radiologists or obstetricians. The end result may be erroneous questions, embarrassed cases of mistaken identities and inappropriate usage of time.

To solve this problem, I propose that physicians be assigned a specific lab-coat colour on the basis of their specialty. This would make them easily distinguishable. To wit:

· cardiologists and hematologists: red

· gastroenterologists: brown

· obstetricians: pink (or blue, depending)

· radiologists: black and white

· nephrologists: pale yellow

· hepatologists: bright yellow

· infectious disease specialists: mouldy green

And so on.

Using this simple, low-cost method, much of the confusion that currently exists could be eliminated, allowing physicians to be correctly identified even from far away. Further studies need to be done to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of this approach, to choose appropriate accessories for each lab-coat colour and to determine how colour-blind people might be affected. I await prospective validation of this suggestion in a randomized, but not blinded, controlled trial.