From June to August, 2014, I wrote a series of articles on a website called forcechange.com. Since then, to the extent I can tell, that website persists, but these articles do not. I therefore post them here, as on the date they were penned.
Demand that medical professionals receive education in the treatment of patients with disabilities
Excerpt: Studies report discrimination against patients with obvious physical disabilities, including those confined to a wheelchair and those who are obese. Urge policymakers to create laws and guidelines for medical educators to ensure equal treatment of patients with disabilities.
Target: American Medical Association President Ardis Dee Hoven, MD
Goal: Ensure that disabled patients are provided with equal treatment in medical environments by requiring training for medical providers.
Patients with disabilities are discriminated against in medical environments. They are often made to wait longer for treatment or may simply be denied access to treatment outright. One study reports that when researchers contacted hospitals across four cities to ask for treatment for fictional patients who were obese and who used a wheelchair, over a fifth of the facilities responded that accommodating the patient would be impossible.
The Americans with Disabilities Act was put in place in 1990 to eliminate discrimination against individuals due to physical or mental disabilities in activities and situations ranging from housing to public transportation to medical treatment. The Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice clearly states that this includes providing accessible examination rooms, necessary equipment for assisting patients when they require physical aid in moving to examination tables, and staff who are provided with the educational training required to treat patients with disabilities.
Studies show that deans at a majority of U.S. medical schools report that including a curriculum for patients with disabilities is not a priority, and many medical students never see any inclusion of treating patients with mental disabilities on the curriculum at all.
Join those who believe in equal treatment for all and urge members of the AMA to suggest policy changes aimed toward equal treatment for patients with disabilities by requiring that students in medical fields receiving training in responding to the needs of individuals with physical and mental impairments.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear AMA President Ardis Dee Hoven,
Individuals with physical and mental disabilities deserve the right to the same access to medical care as all other individuals. However, the current state of medicine often leaves disabled individuals waiting longer for care or denies access to these individuals outright.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 was put in place to ensure that individuals with disabilities do not undergo discrimination. I write to ask that you encourage policymakers and medical care providers to ensure that the aims of this act are upheld. Medical facilities should be properly equipped to accommodate all individuals, and medical staff should be provided with the training that is required to treat persons who may suffer from disabilities.
Critically, staff training should go beyond knowledge of appropriate regulations for accessible rooms and knowledge of relevant equipment. It should also be designed to inform medical professionals about the implicit discrimination that often goes along with treating patients with disabilities. This training should start early in the medical educational system. Currently, only a minority of medical schools place focus on this critical topic for aspiring physicians and medical professionals.
A recent study showed that by showing an educational video only 90 minutes in length to medical students had a significantly positive impact on medical students' attitudes and beliefs toward individuals with medical disabilities. Education is crucial to providing the context and understanding for medical care providers to do their jobs: caring for patients, regardless of background.
I join others in affirming that we cannot accept discrimination from health care providers. I ask that you use your influence to encourage policymakers to ensure that the Americans with Disabilities Act is upheld and that medical educators provide students with information on how to eliminate such discrimination.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: openclipart.org
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