I worked in a medical facility for a number of years and the staff had to go through yearly training about cultural awareness. So while those paper gowns may seem silly and unnecessary to a nudist, others find it comforting or dignifying . Although I don't see how dignity and a paper garment relate but to each their own.
When I was a kid, almost every doctor visit usually meant I was butt naked at some point but not so much today. It is what society has become.
I usually ditch the paper gown myself. I'm not there for a social visit. I just want whatever they are doing to me over with as rapidly as possible and wasting time with changing in to something else for the sake of some false sense of dignity, just makes it take longer.
I had to have a cystoscope a couple of years ago. I was shown to a cubicle to remove all my clothing below the waist and given a towel to wrap round me as I walked across to the examination area.
Once lying down the towel was removed and the urologist got in with things. The nurse spent the whole time chatting to me about my all over tan, I had been in Greece a couple of months before, where I had been to get one and didnt I feel odd being naked in front of others, what was it like the first time. I assume she had seen patients with an all over tan before but was very interested.
Needless to say when the urologist said he was done I didnt bother with wrapping the towel around me to walk back to my clothes.