Words Matter: Person-First Language in the Dental Office In health care, the effect of the language used to describe patients, especially in patient records, has come under scrutiny. Some research has shown how language and word choices can transmit implicit bias and perpetuate stigma, as well as influence health care outcomes. An American study1 reported by the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that Black patients were about 2.5 times more likely than white patients to have negative words in their patient records, such as “resistant” or “non-compliant.” The same study also found higher incidences of negative labels in the records of patients receiving social assistance, those who were unmarried, and those who ranked higher on a comorbidity index. Such word choices can stigmatize patients and delegitimize their concerns, and it also can hurt health care workers. “When health care workers start to see their patients as diseases, or even as non-persons, the humanism in the encounter can be stripped away, which may put health care workers at increased risk for The language that dentists employ can influence how they see their patients and their relationships with them. 33 Issue 2 | 2023 |
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