What commonly used words do you find off-putting?

Here's one vote for "dementia"

August 11, 2024 Check out STAT+

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By Pat Skerrett Editor, First Opinion

I've long been interested in the words that people find off-putting. I'm not referring to the list of truly offensive or harmful words, but to seemingly more mundane ones. This week in First Opinion, Mike Zuendel wrote about his campaign to phase out the "D-word," with "D" here standing for dementia. As someone diagnosed with early Alzheimer's disease, he finds it an "an inaccurate, outdated, and stigmatizing term," and being referred to as being demented makes him feel "hurt, judged, and counted out." I have a beef with the word "patient" when it's used to describe a bunch of people who happen to have a disease or condition. They may be their doctors' patients, but out in the real world, they are people living their lives. I've been living with a chronic condition for years, but the only time I come close to considering myself to be patient is in a doctor's office or a hospital. If you have a word or phrase you think should be phased out or retired from general use, let me know about it at first.opinion@statnews.com Other writers this week covered why medicine needs fiction, Noah Lyles's competing in the Olympics with Covid, a connection between "The Bear" and working in a hospital, and more. You can read them all here.

Adobe Phasing out the 'D-word' The term dementia is an outdated, inaccurate, and stigmatizing term that should be permanently retired. By Mike Zuendel Noah Lyles' collapse with Covid: How not to manage health at the Olympics Decisions about whether athletes are healthy enough to compete in the Olympics should be up to doctor and trainers, not the athletes. By Arthur L. Caplan Medicine needs fiction, especially now Medical-based fiction won't rescue us from the soullessness of American health care, but it can help expose its failings. By David Weill FX Productions How the restaurant drama 'The Bear' mirrors working in a hospital In "The Bear," restaurant workers gain remarkable skills and endure career-altering abuse. The same thing happens in hospitals. By Abraham Nussbaum When life mirrors research: What a fall on the ice taught me about being Black and in pain First Opinion essay: When I broke my sacrum, I experienced what Black older adults had been telling me about inequities in pain care and control. By Staja "Star" Booker First Opinion readers respond to essays on right to try lies, pharma execs, and more First Opinion readers have their say about recent essays, taking some authors to task and supporting others. By Patrick Skerrett CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images Small changes in food 'choice environments' in stores can make a healthy difference Tweaking the "choice architecture" in grocery and other stores can help shoppers focus on buying healthier foods. By Anne N. Thorndike Diversity statements should not be required for federal STEMM grant funding Former Harvard Medical School dean Jeffrey Flier argues against requiring DEI statements for federal science research funding. By Jeffrey S. Flier Mark Humphrey/AP Removing barriers to split liver transplants will save lives First Opinion: Removing barriers to split liver transplants could reduce the number of deaths among people waiting for new livers. By Evelyn Tenenbaum and Jed Adam Gross Give pharmaceutical execs the benefit of doubt — but they need to work for it Pharmaceutical leaders have been portrayed as rapacious execs who gouge patients to gratify shareholders. They face competing pressures. By Fred D. Ledley Congress is unprepared for the post-Chevron world. It needs help from subject matter experts To legislate effectively post-Chevron, Congress will need subject matter experts to help enact laws that leave less room for interpretation. By David Blumenthal and Sara Rosenbaum Adobe Cost-effectiveness of health interventions may be perpetuating health disparities. Here's how to fix that Current cost effectiveness methods tend to undervalue interventions that would primarily benefit disadvantaged groups. By Sanjay Basu

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