Williams and Chen to present Stigma in Medicine: The Power of Language

Join the upcoming IAMSE Fall Webcast Audio Seminar series webinar series with the theme of “Push and Pull: Navigating Strains in Health Education.” Over five sessions, we will cover a variety of topics including disability in medicine, the impact of AI, mentoring, and more.

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to join the conversation on Navigating Strains in Health Education!

The series began on September 19 with a presentation by Lisa M. Meeks, ‘Disability in Medicine: Why We Need More Disabled Physicians.’ The series continues on September 26 with speakers Yerko Berrocal, Kathryn Huggett, and Robert Opoka, presenting ‘Approaching Curricular Reform,’ followed by the October 3 session, ‘AI Impact and Blowback – An Introduction,’ presented by Dennis Bergau. The series will continue on October 10 with J. Corey Williams and Melissa Chen presenting ‘Stigma in Medicine: The Power of Language.’ To wrap up the Fall 2024 WAS Series will be Dyron Corley and Stephanie Dearden presenting ‘Laying the Groundwork: Enhancing Medical Student Preparedness Through Pre-Matriculation and Mentoring’ on October 17.

Below we look at the fourth week’s presentation:

Stigma in Medicine: The Power of Language

Presenters: J. Corey Williams, MA, MD, Georgetown University Medical Center, and Melissa Chen, MD, Rosalind Franklin University
Session Date & Time: October 10, 2024 at 12:00 PM EDT
Session Description:

Learning objectives

  • Recognize that stigmatizing language in clinical documentation and oral presentations can propagate bias from one clinician to another, deleteriously influencing diagnostic and treatment decisions
  • Identify stigmatizing language within a sample written clinical vignette
  • Revise a written vignette to use person-first, antioppressive language

Documentation and oral presentation serve several critical functions within a clinical team. Depending on how patients are described, including historically stigmatized descriptors, clinicians may perpetuate the codification of racial disparities in service delivery, teaching trainees racist ideas and communicating biases to other clinicians. Current research has shown that documentation has the power to influence diagnostic and treatment decisions independent of other factors. In this session, participants will recognize that stigmatizing language in clinical documentation and oral presentations can propagate bias from one clinician to another, deleteriously influencing diagnostic and treatment decisions. And, participants will reflect on anti-racist documentation practices using sample vignettes and case examples.

As always, IAMSE Student Members can register
for the series for FREE!

For more information on the free registration for students who are active members of IAMSE, please reach out to support@iamse.org. If you are a student who is interested in starting a membership, we would love to have you join us for only $25! Click here for more details.