December 2023 Pick of the Month

 

Work to Be Done

At both the undergraduate and graduate levels of medical education, institutions are holding seminars, lectures, and town halls to address the issue of microaggressions in medicine. These events are undoubtedly intended to instill harmony among providers, teachers, and students, while also, ultimately, to improve patient trust in the medical establishment. Ironically, rumors have circulated that public microaggressions occurred during a few of these events. Within that context, this month’s Pick-of-the-Month, “Patient perceptions of microaggressions and discrimination toward patients during emergency department care” by Punches and colleagues, arrives at a time when the entire medical community strives to create dignity and empathy – rather than act with hegemony – toward each other, and toward patients.

Using mixed methods (quantitative survey and interviews), the first theme that emerged from the qualitative component was “Clinician Behaviors—Communication and Empathy.” Other themes reflect important constructs to compassion and inclusivity, including the health care team's emotional responses, experiences of discrimination, and the environment within the emergency department. This important contribution provides the patient’s perspective – and therefore the work that needs to be done – to elevate humanism during times of emergency.

 

Jeffrey A. Kline, MD
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Editor-in-Chief