A simple case of chest pain: sensitizing doctors to patients with disabilities

Leana S Wen1

  • 1Leana S. Wen (wen.leana@gmail.com) is an attending physician and director of patient-centered care research at the George Washington University Department of Emergency Medicine, in Washington, D.C. The senior resident's name was changed to protect his privacy. The patient, James, asked that his last name be omitted. The author is deeply indebted to Vivian Sisskin, her group of fellow people who stutter, and members of the National Stuttering Association for their guidance, support, and friendship. She thanks the many phenomenal educators-both patients and providers-who have encouraged her to tell this story. Thanks to Audrey Young and Fitzhugh Mullan for critical review of the manuscript, and Kao-Ping Chua, Aaron Mertz, Noam Broder, and Sebastian Walker for their personal support. This essay is dedicated to all those who are fighting to ensure equitable and accessible health care.

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