We’re excited to share that our recent study “Biased Language in Simulated Handoffs and Clinician Recall and Attitudes” was featured in At the Forefront by University of Chicago Medicine.

The article, “Biased language in clinical handoffs may negatively impact patient care”, highlights our work published in JAMA Network Open. The study found that when clinicians hear a patient described with negatively biased language during a simulated handoff, they had less accurate clinical information recall and less positive attitudes toward patients. As lead author Dr. Austin Wesevich explained in the piece: “A lot is going on here cognitively — how we’re processing information as clinicians, and how editorializing or talking about the patient negatively can really cloud the mind of the listener and impact the care they ultimately give that patient.”

This feature builds on our lab’s broader work examining how bias in clinical communication shapes care delivery and health outcomes. We’re grateful to see this conversation reaching a wider audience, and we hope it sparks continued discussion about reducing bias and standardizing handoffs in order to improve patient safety.

Read the full article here: https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/research-and-discoveries-articles/biased-language-in-clinical-handoffs-may-negatively-impact-patient-care

Read the study here: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2828116