Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 5, 2025
Using Visual and Narrative Methods to Achieve Fair Process in Clinical Care
Published on: February 16, 2011
Experiences of Patient Incivility: A Qualitative Study
Emily A Vargas1, Ramaswami Mahalingam2
1Department of Preventive Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
Background:
Incivility is one of the most prevalent forms of interpersonal mistreatment. Although studies have examined the full range of experiences of incivility against nurses and other hospital personnel, very few studies examined the forms of incivility that patients face in a hospital.
Objective:
To empirically investigate the range of uncivil experiences targeted against patients. Our study furthers our understanding of the phenomenology of incivility from the patients' perspective.
Method:
We used interpretative phenomenological analysis to analyze participant's (n = 173) experiences of incivility in a hospital.
Results:
We identified 6 major themes of incivility, namely Insensitivity, Identity Stigma, Gaslighting, Infantilization, Poor Communication, and Ignored.
Conclusion:
The findings highlight that instances of incivility are present in almost all aspects of the patient experience and take on unique forms, given the patient's role in the hospital. Implications for health consequences are discussed.
More Related Videos
14:43A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting
Published on: January 12, 2018
06:04Objective Nociceptive Assessment in Ventilated ICU Patients: A Feasibility Study Using Pupillometry and the Nociceptive Flexion Reflex
Published on: July 4, 2018
Related Concept Videos
01:08Obedience
01:27Ethical Issues
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
01:22Ethics and Bioethics
01:27Nursing Ethical Principles II
Consider the following scenario, which illustrates how these principles are applied in the care of Mr. John, a fifty-year-old teacher diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer.
Initially, Mr. John's...
01:29Data Collection II
01:21Barriers to Effective Communication II
Cultural barriers:
Differences in values, beliefs, religion, knowledge, and tradition can significantly impact communication. Awareness of nonverbal cues is critical, especially when conversing with a patient from a different culture. What appears appropriate in one culture may be inappropriate in another.
Semantic barriers:
As a result of their tendency to use...