May 2023 Communication Tip
Person First Language
I’ve just returned from some time off to celebrate my daughter’s graduation from college. After hearing many, many long speeches filled with well-intentioned advice from esteemed speakers, I’m feeling a little cautious about offering advice myself.
But, let me make a brief point this month about the words we use to communicate-- WORDS MATTER! Of course, this is a surprise to no one, but we all deserve a reminder. Even subtle differences in the words and phrases we use can create stigma and have profound impacts on our patients, clinical care, and colleagues.
“Person-first language” is a simple construct but conveys an important message. “Patients” are not their disease. “Patients” are people who have a disease. For example, think about the difference in these constructions: a person with cancer vs. a cancer patient, a person with a substance use disorder vs. a substance user (or worse… an addict or a substance abuser).
In person-first language, the goal is to avoid perceived and subconscious stigma and dehumanization. This language “puts a person before a diagnosis, describing what condition a person has rather than asserting what a person is.” For those interested in more, the AMA has a Health Equity guide (Advancing Health Equity: A Guide to Language, Narrative and Concepts) that goes into the use of person-first language. The guide is available here https://www.ama-assn.org/about/ama-center-health-equity/advancing-health-equity-guide-language-narrative-and-concepts-0
Unfortunately, we in health care continue to use stigmatizing language frequently (in the scholarly literature, in our clinical notes, in education), and there is powerful intersectionality with race, gender, and age. So, let’s all graduate to a more thoughtful way of choosing our words and commence with a commitment to putting people first.
All My Best,
Mike
P.S. You can find an archive of past communication tips on the MERI website: https://meri.ucsf.edu/meri-center-communication-tips.