As we navigate the world today, we know that our words and how we speak to each other carry weight. In healthcare settings, our choice of words can affect the patient experience and clinical decisions. And while our industry strives to treat each consumer equally, disparities do still happen. Negative stigmas surrounding medical conditions or other factors can keep patients from receiving the care they need and deserve.

Part of our diversity, equity and inclusion journey at Texas Health is our commitment to fostering an inclusive and respectful environment for patients and each other. In partnership with our Patient Safety and Patient & Family Experience teams, we have adopted a set of guidelines called Words Matter that prioritizes bias-free language.

Using Words Matter as a guide, care providers are encouraged to separate the person from the condition they are experiencing.

Picture this: You walk into a hospital for your scheduled appointment. A nurse walks into your exam room and begins referring to you as “a diabetic” rather than “a person living with diabetes.”

While the word choice may seem like a small difference to some, categorizing a diagnosis as something a person is experiencing rather than letting it define them can have a huge impact on the comfort level of a patient.

The same can be said for word choice outside of the patient setting. Using pet names such as “Honey,” “Sweetie,” and “Darling” may seem endearing, but words like these can be seen as condescending. Additionally, being intentional about how you refer to a person diagnosed with mental illness will help you avoid making negative connotations and demeaning the person. As business and community leaders in North Texas, we want to ensure we are speaking in a respectful manner to everyone we come across.

Words also matter when it comes to ageism. When speaking to adults age 65 and older, we want to make sure we are avoiding the use of words such as “feeble” or “aged.” Instead, we want to think about the way we speak about aging and factually describe what an older adult may be experiencing.

Using words that promote an inclusive care environment is only one, albeit major, piece of the diversity, equity and inclusion puzzle Texas Health is piecing together in partnership with our people and our leaders. For more information on Words Matter and how you can put it into practice, we invite you to look at our flyer on pet names and ageism.