A Scoping Review of Recommendations and Training to Respond to Patient Microaggressions

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Professional Well-being
• Medical Education
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Patient microaggressions are prevalent across healthcare, particularly in psychiatry.
• Healthcare professionals report high rates of experiencing microaggressions and discrimination from patients.
• Existing literature lacks a comprehensive review of strategies to combat patient microaggressions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct the first scoping review of recommendations and training interventions for healthcare professionals responding to patient microaggressions.
• To identify and synthesize existing strategies for addressing patient microaggressions in clinical settings.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review was performed using articles from PubMed, PsycINFO, Medline, ERIC, and MedEdPORTAL.
• The search focused on identifying recommendations and solutions for healthcare professionals dealing with patient microaggressions.
• Data extraction and synthesis were conducted on 27 relevant studies.

Main Results:

• Twenty-seven studies yielded recommendations and training programs for healthcare professionals.
• Key recommendations included fostering a supportive culture, addressing microaggressions directly, supporting targets, managing discriminatory requests, and implementing institutional responses.
• Six articles detailed specific training frameworks like ERASE, Stop, Talk, and Roll, XYZ, ACTION, and OWTFD.

Conclusions:

• Recommendations and training programs for responding to patient microaggressions are developing.
• Initial results from these trainings are promising.
• Further research is necessary to assess the long-term effectiveness and clinical impact of these interventions.