Exploring issues relating to disability cultural competence among practicing physicians

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Disability Studies
• Health Equity

Background:

• Healthcare disparities persist for individuals with disabilities.
• Physician understanding of disability is a key factor in these disparities.
• Disability cultural competence addresses the social, cultural, and linguistic needs of patients with disabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate physicians' comprehension of disability cultural competence.
• To assess physicians' attitudes toward patients with disabilities.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of 20 in-depth interviews with physicians.
• Interviews focused on understanding disability cultural competence and physician attitudes.
• Conventional content analysis of transcribed interviews.

Main Results:

• Physicians predominantly used medical definitions of disability, overlooking social factors.
• While some used person-first language, many employed outdated and potentially offensive terms (e.g., 'handicap', 'wheelchair-bound').
• Communication and routine examination challenges were noted, particularly with patients with mental illness or intellectual disability.

Conclusions:

• Physicians' language regarding disability is mixed, with instances of both culturally competent and outdated terminology.
• Further training in disability cultural competence is needed to improve physician-patient interactions and reduce disparities.