Stigmatizing language in medical records is a common pathway for bias and refers to the use of words or phrases that reinforce negative stereotypes, prejudices, or discriminatory attitudes toward certain groups of people. Such language may include phrases that suggest that the patient is responsible for their illness and/or that the patient is untruthful, for example, stating that “the patient claims…” or referring to a patient as “a drug addict.”
Through their research, Saha and his colleagues, including IHM co-lead Mary Catherine Beach, are exploring how issues such as stigmatizing language and underrepresentation of people from Black, Indigenous, and Latino communities in health professions impact health outcomes for historically disadvantaged populations.
Clinicians reading notes with stigmatizing language develop negative attitudes toward the patient that can adversely impact the quality of care that patient receives.”
“Clinicians write notes about patients that are then read by other clinicians,” Saha explains. “Our work has shown that clinicians use more stigmatizing language when writing about Black versus White patients. We have also demonstrated that clinicians reading notes with stigmatizing language develop negative attitudes toward the patient that can adversely impact the quality of care that patient receives.”
