The year that was: Insidious words ethicists are telling doctors not to use
Healthcare terminology that belittles or blames patients is outdated and needs to change, say researchers
AusDoc is looking back at the year. Here’s a story about one of those research papers that always provokes debate – for good or bad.
The reaction in the AusDoc comments section is worth reading.
Doctors’ use of common medical phrases like ‘non-compliant’ and ‘failure to progress’ has come under fire for inadvertently disempowering patients.
UK medical ethics specialists argue some language, while ingrained in clinical practice, can “insidiously” affect the doctor–patient therapeutic relationship by conferring petulance, rendering the patient passive or seemingly blaming them for poor outcomes.
