Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1485806
22 PATIENT & CAREGIVER EXPERIENCE Patients more likely to drop 'Dr.' when messaging female physicians, study finds By Mackenzie Bean P atients are more likely to refer to female physicians by their first name in electronic messaging compared to male physicians, a study published Oct. 5 in JAMA Network Open found. Researchers from Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic analyzed 29,498 messages sent through the system's EHR from 14,958 patients between Oct. 1, 2018 and Sept. 30, 2021. Female physicians were more than twice as likely as their male counterparts to be called by their first name, even after researchers adjusted for various factors such as patient gender, physician age and specialty. "To our knowledge, this is the first study to objectively identify patterns of addressing physicians through electronic messaging and may reveal potential bias," researchers wrote, adding that the study may not be generalizable as it was only conducted at one health system. n Black physicians leaving due to bias and racial discrimination By Mariah Taylor A number of black physicians are resigning or being forced out of medicine due to racial discrimination, ABC News reported Oct. 24. ABC News interviewed three Black physicians, ranging from a former resident to a hospital executive, who all cited racial discrimination as one reason for their departure. They blamed the medical field's competitive culture, hierarchical structure and exploitative nature for the discrimination. "There's a hierarchical structure in medicine," neurosurgeon Dare Adewumi, MD, said. "Especially in surgery, there's [a] militaristic approach to it as well, where you simply do your job, you shut up, you don't complain. You don't even realize that you're being stepped on more than other colleagues are being stepped on." Black physicians constitute only 5 percent of all practicing physicians nationwide, according to data from the Association of American Medical Colleges ABC cited. The shortage of black physicians is linked to reduced access to medical care, less effective medical care and worse outcomes for Black patients, according to the report. n Why an Iowa health system updated its hair care offerings for patients By Mariah Taylor C ombs, shampoos and other hair care products have been supplied to inpatients for decades, but many are geared toward people with straight, fine hair, leaving out a number of minority groups, according to an Oct. 19 article on the American Medical Association website. A different approach to personal needs in healthcare would provide better inclusivity to marginalized patient populations who oen go unnoticed and unconsidered, according to the report. For example, staff members at Iowa City-based University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics realized they were shortchanging people of color when one Black patient said in a survey response: "I wish I had a comb for my hair." A physician investigated the complaint and discovered most of the supplies the hospital provided could be used only on straight, fine hair, which is usually a trait of white people. People of color with other hair types needed different products. To be more inclusive, the health system reached out to surrounding systems for vendor recommendations and best practices for providing inclusive hair products. However, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics could not find a system that supplied these products on a systematic or wide-scale basis. In 2019, it implemented its own system across six units. Now, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics provides patients with products tailored to a variety of needs. Products include sulfate-free shampoos, hair moisturizers such as coconut oil and shea butter, wide-tooth combs and protective statin headscarves. e health system also provides razors and shaving cream for patients. n