Sometimes when I say I'm an editor, the assumption is that I'm nothing more than a human spell check. I can spell, yes—but that is only a minute aspect of an editor's role. I won't delve into my 9–5 here; but I want to hone in on one part of my job that I feel quite strongly about.
Editing a healthcare publication comes with a certain level of responsibility. We work with content that discusses the individual realities of people—which cannot be generalised—but which we must generalise to discuss. So where does that leave us? Well, one of the bits I edit on many articles is the tendency to label a patient with their condition. For example, I usually change references such as ‘a dementia patient’ to ‘a person living with dementia’, or ‘a member of the LGBT community’ to ‘a person who identifies as LGBT’.
The concept of patient-centred care and of seeing and treating the person—not their disease—is one that was instilled in me from a young age. My parents, both nurses, owned three care homes, and branded them ‘Client-Centred Care Homes’ (CCCH) because of their philosophy to provide individualised care. I worked there caring for older people, and spending time with people who were living with brain injuries. As is the case for many healthcare organisations and staff, the importance of seeing our clients for who they were as people, rather than their conditions, was paramount.
However, the way we label a person, and the language we use is not always given due consideration. I came across an article just last week by the National Instiute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (2017) that referred to ‘Multiple sclerosis patients’, and another from NHS England (2017) referring to ‘Stroke patients’. This is extremely common, and perhaps not a big deal to many people. I would argue however that our terminology forms part of the way we see people, think about them, and thus treat them. It should therefore align with a personal sentiment of respect and equality.
People can become lost in a label, and even find themselves on the receiving end of discrimination. This is something that is sadly pervasive in our society, and which affects patients and healthcare staff alike. It may be racial, ethnic or religious, or related to a person's gender, sexual orientation, or any other aspect of individual identity.
In the current issue of the Journal of Paramedic Practice, we discuss the need to ensure that people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) are treated with respect, and to make this a priority within ambulance services. On page 98, Gunn and Renshaw share some of the work being done by the National Ambulance LGBT Network to support staff wellbeing and patient experience, as well as an overview of the 2017 conference. On page 102, Alistair Quaile delves into reports of discrimination in care towards people based on their sexual orientation, and notes not only what needs to be done, but why such inequality must come to an end. Patient care should always be inclusive, fair and based on a person's needs; while at work, every member of the ambulance service should feel accepted and respected.