Charting a Way Forward: Interrogating Punitive Language in Clinical Settings

Description

How would patients feel if they read their chart? Or, if they heard their care team talking about them? The language we use in clinical settings can reflect and reinforce implicit and explicit bias. Labels like “noncompliant” or “nonadherent” stigmatize patients. Punitive language in electronic health records can jeopardize a patient’s credibility in future interactions with care providers, putting them at greater risk for negative interactions and health outcomes.

This session will equip nurses with tools to chart in ways that promote patient dignity and respect. We will share research showing that stigmatizing language is associated with poorer perinatal health outcomes. We will reflect on the language we use to talk about patients in records and in conversations with colleagues, and interrogate how the words we use can reflect bias and reinforce stigma. We will practice language reframing to chart a better way forward.

Learning Objectives

• Interrogate the language we use in patient documentation.

• Reflect on the impact of stigmatizing language in patient notes.

• Practice language reframing through applied case studies.

• Strategize on ways to mitigate harm in clinical documentation.

Course Content