Valerie Satkoske, MSW, PhD
VP Mission Effectiveness, Spiritual Care, and Ethics UPMC Mercy
VP Ethics UPMC and UPMC PUH/SHY
Words are the vehicle by which we communicate symptoms, diagnoses, prognoses, and medical advice. When chosen carefully, words have the power to comfort, support, and express empathy. However, when words become automatic, dated, or unexamined, they have the potential to stigmatize, shame, blame, and manipulate. This presentation will explore examples of commonly used medical terms that may negatively affect patients, recent efforts to be more thoughtful in word choice and labeling, and how word choice and framing may be particularly important when communicating with patients who are neurodivergent.
SHRS Bioethics and Health Humanities Series, co-sponsored by the Center for Bioethics & Health Law