RESUMEN
In a survey research study, perceptions of 50 hospitalized patients on contact isolation were evaluated regarding their ability to identify health care worker (HCW) type in isolation gowns with no hospital badge under or on the gown, in isolation gowns with the hospital badge partially visible through the gown, and in isolation gowns with a preprinted large font Registered Nurse and Nursing Technician sticker badge on the outside of the gown. Patients ranked their ability to identify HCWs when entering their hospital room as important (average ranking, 8.0, where 0 was not at all important and 10 was very important); 28 patients (56%) specified all HCWs entering their hospital room should wear a preprinted large font sticker badge on the outside of their isolation gowns. Patients found little difficulty identifying HCW type with the large font preprinted sticker badge (average difficulty ranking, 1.0, where 0 is not at all difficult and 10 is very difficult), a simplistic method to improve HCW type identification.