A new study shows that when doctors and nurses use negatively biased language during patient handoffs, it can lead to decreased empathy and even less accurate recall of critical health information. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, highlights the potential impact of unconscious bias on patient care.
University of Chicago Medical CenterDec 17 2024 When doctors and nurses pass patient information from one shift to another -; an exchange known as a "handoff" -; the specific words they use behind closed doors matter more than they might realize.
This new study builds on previous research published in JAMA Pediatrics in which Wesevich and colleagues at Duke University recorded and analyzed real-life handoffs at a major medical center. In that earlier work, they found that these behind-the-scenes briefings included negative or biased language 23% of the time, especially when discussing certain groups such as Black patients or patients with obesity.
"Unsurprisingly, our results confirmed that when you hear biased language about someone, you feel less positively about that person," Wesevich said. "But it was striking to find that when participants heard some level of blame being directed towards the patient for their condition, they were then less likely to correctly answer the multiple-choice question about the patient's care.
"When we notice in these handoffs that certain types of patients are experiencing the brunt of the problem, then we need to do something to try to help alleviate that situation," Wesevich said. "I think standardization of handoffs is the way to protect vulnerable patients by making the playing field of privilege more level."
BIASES COMMUNICATION EMPATHY HEALTHCARE PATIENT CARE
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