Negative Patient Descriptors: Documenting Racial Bias In The Electronic Health Record (1 credit hour)

Program Summary:   This course explores potential implicit bias in healthcare by looking at stigmatizing language in the healthcare record. The course highlights a study using machine learning to analyze electronic health records using 15 different patient descriptors:  (non-) adherent, aggressive, agitated, angry, challenging, combative, (non-)compliant, confront, (non-) cooperative, defensive, exaggerate, hysterical, (un-)pleasant, refuse, and resist.  A discussion of results and recommendations are given.

This course is recommended for social workers, counselors, and therapists.

“Book  Open the Course Reading Here.

Course Reading:  Negative Patient Descriptors:  Documenting Racial Bias In The Electronic Health Record

Authors:  Michael Sun, Tomasz Oliwa, Monica E. Peek, Elizabeth L. Tung

Publisher:  Health Affairs

Additional Reading:  Using A Health Equity Lense:  CDC

Course Objectives:  To enhance professional practice, values, skills and knowledge by examining stigmitizing language in the healthcare record and potential racial and implicit biases.

Learning Objectives:  Describe how implicit bias can negatively affect the healthcare relationship.   Describe concerns about stigmatizing language in the healthcare record.  Give examples of negative patient descriptors.

Review our pre-reading study guide.

Course Available Until: February 28, 2027.

In order to purchase or take this course, you will need to log in. If you do not have an account, you will need to register for a free account.

After you log in, a link will appear here that will allow you to purchase this course.

1: Implicit bias describes the _________ attitudes and stereotypes that individuals may hold.
 
 
2: Which of the following is a tool used to measure unconscious bias?
 
 
 
 
3: Implicit bias has clear negative effects on
 
 
 
 
4: A study by Anna Goddu and colleagues found that when medical providers were shown a hypothetical chart note containing  ______________ , they were more likely to have a negative perception of the patient's pain and to formulate a less aggressive pain management plan.
 
 
 
 
5: Patients coded with ____________ were excluded from the study
 
 
 
 
6: The most commonly used descriptors in any contexts were
 
 
 
 
7: Which group had a higher adjusted odds of a negative descriptor?
 
 
 
 
 
8: Records suggest that outpatient encounters were associated with ______________ adjusted odds of having a negative descriptor in the EHR.
 
 
9: In a mixed-methods analysis of oncologists' notes, Jordan Alpert and colleagues found that note text
 
 
10: For the following question, please refer to the 2nd article- Using a Health Equity Lens: A health equity lens means _____________ looking at the potential positive and negative impacts of proposed messages.
 
 

In order to purchase or take this course, you will need to log in. If you do not have an account, you will need to register for a free account.

After you log in, a link will appear here that will allow you to purchase this course.

G.M. Rydberg-Cox, MSW, LSCSW is the Continuing Education Director at Free State Social Work and responsible for the development of this course.  She received her Masters of Social Work in 1996 from the Jane Addams School of Social Work at the University of Illinois-Chicago and she has over 20 years of experience.  She has lived and worked as a social worker in Chicago, Boston, and Kansas City. She has practiced for many years in the area of hospital/medical social work.  The reading materials for this course were developed by another organization.

Course Available Until: February 28, 2027.
Filed under: Anti-Racism, Anti-Discrimination, Cultural Competence, Healthcare, Implicit Bias