Journal of hospital medicine : an official publication of the Society of Hospital Medicine
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Stigma within the healthcare environment limits access to treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD), even as OUD results in significant morbidity and mortality. Language in clinical documentation affects patient experience and future care through the transmission of stigma or positive regard. With the passage of the 21st Century Cures Act, patients have full access to their medical records online. ⋯ Stigmatizing language was present in both provider- and system-generated language and was nine times more frequent than affirming language in the medical records of hospitalized patients with OUD. While provider education may reduce stigmatizing language, institutional level changes to the EHR and International Classification of Disease codes are necessary to decrease stigmatizing language within medical records.
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Hospitalists in British Columbia care for a large percentage of hospitalized patients across 21 acute care facilities. ⋯ High levels of burnout are associated with a desire to reduce work involvement among BC hospitalists. Health system leaders need to consider factors contributing to burnout as a key aspect of broader health human resource planning efforts.