Tips and Considerations for Medical Draping to Promote Patient Comfort

June 4, 2025 - By Lindsay Paulsen

Medical exams, especially those that require the study of sensitive areas of the body, can heighten a patient’s feelings of vulnerability. For clinicians in bedside medicine, proper draping plays an important role in promoting a patient’s comfort and sense of dignity and can also influence technical aspects of physical exams.

Medical draping may feel like a small detail but be assured that this aspect of the physical exam can have a big impact on patients. A study of dermatology patients led by University of Ottawa, The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Toronto indicates that more than 50% of patients surveyed describe draping as either “very” or “pretty” important. The study authors also recommend special attention should be given to younger female patients, who are more likely to have comfort concerns. 

Draping for Patient Comfort

Everything you do as a healthcare provider “has the power to either strengthen and restore patient dignity or to diminish and undermine it,” writes Fiona Campbell, PT, in an article for the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario. She continues to explain that proper draping “is a chance for you to help create a safe, comfortable space for your patients.”

In a paper published by Physiotherapy Canada, authors Nicole Wilson, Diana Hopkins-Rosseel, Christopher Lusty, Henry Averns and Wilma Hopman write that draping is a skill that can be taught and objectively evaluated in health education. However, citing research by Carole Webster and Karen Bryan, the authors also state that “despite the clear importance of draping in clinical settings, patients report that healthcare providers do not always protect their dignity through appropriate draping techniques.”

Technical Implications of Medical Draping

Proper draping also impacts more than just patient comfort — it can also affect technical aspects of the exam. Jaideep S. Talwalkar, MD, and Joseph Donroe, MD, share a few examples: “Skin lesions are missed when ‘inspection’ occurs through clothing, crackles are erroneously reported when the lungs are examined through a t-shirt, and subtle findings on the heart exam go undetected when auscultation is performed over clothing.” Talwalkar and Donroe emphasize that using hands or equipment “in direct contact with the patient’s skin” is likely to yield the best results.