Doctors’ see-through surgical masks impact relationship with patient more than realized, study says Updated Mar 11, 2021; Posted Mar 11, 2021 Dr. Ian Kratzke models the traditional and clear face masks that were tested in a new study. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Muneera Kapadia/JAMA Network)TNS Facebook Share Scientists who outfitted surgeons with clear masks found that patients gave them higher marks for empathy and explaining things clearly compared with doctors who wore typical surgical masks. The findings, published Thursday in the journal JAMA Surgery, highlight an unfortunate side effect of universal mask-wearing in medicine — and one possible way to help overcome it.