More than one in six adults say they have seen disrespectful or judgmental language in their own or a loved one's medical records, according to a survey published in JAMA Network Open. The nationally weighted survey of 500 U.S. adults, conducted in late 2025, also found that nearly three-quarters of respondents believed such language could lead to worse health outcomes, such as incorrect prescriptions or diagnostic errors.
The study comes as the 21st Century Cures Act's information-blocking rule has made clinical notes immediately visible to patients through electronic health record portals. The researchers noted that stigmatizing language is pervasive across healthcare settings, but patient perspectives on it have been understudied. They called for clear standards promoting respectful communication in both documentation and clinical interactions, and for training programs to emphasize person-centered language.
The survey also showed that 85.5% of respondents said they would be less likely to return to a clinician who used disrespectful language, and 74.7% believed it would influence subsequent care from a new clinician. In adjusted analyses, low-income patients and those with chronic pain were more likely to report such language, and experiencing it was associated with diminished trust in clinicians' documentation skills. The authors acknowledged limitations, including the cross-sectional design and reliance on self-reported data, but said the findings align with broader evidence that stigmatizing language can undermine trust and patient engagement.