Medical School Training Perpetuates Ableism, Unpreparedness in Disability Care: Study
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Doctors in the US feel unprepared to care for people with disabilities due to negative biases and inadequate training in medical school, claims a Northwestern Medicine study. The research reveals that medical school curricula often view disability as a problem, leading to negative assumptions about people with disabilities’ health and quality of life, and this lack of adequate training perpetuates ableism. The study calls for systemic reform, including more “disability-competent” and “ableism-aware” medical education, as well as acknowledging the significant shortfalls in current medical school education regarding disability.
Unpreparedness to Care for Disabled Patients Traced Back to Med School Training
In the U.S., doctors have expressed a lack of preparation to treat patients with disabilities, often showing negative bias towards this group. Recent research from Northwestern Medicine suggests that this issue can be traced back to medical school education.
The Importance of the Study
Studies show that medical school curricula frequently portray disability as a problem, leading medical trainees to develop negative perceptions about disabled patients’ health and quality of life. This approach to disability perpetuates ableism and leaves medical trainees ill-prepared to handle disability-related care in various settings, says Carol Haywood, corresponding author and assistant professor of medical social sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Tackling the Educational Gap at Northwestern
Systemic reform is necessary to improve disability-related medical education, according to Northwestern’s experts. Efforts are being made to develop a more “disability-competent” and “ableism-aware” curriculum. Dr. Leslie Rydberg is leading these changes at Feinberg, transforming how trainees learn about disability. They do this through methods such as patient histories, guest speakers with disabilities, interdisciplinary rehab team learning, and hands-on medical care of disabled patients.
Current Challenges in Medical Care for Disabled Patients
With over a quarter of U.S. adults living with a disability, issues such as physician bias, inaccessible exam rooms, and insufficient communication methods create disparities in healthcare quality, access, and outcomes for disabled people. Many physicians, unless specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation, overlook the need for disability access and quality care.
Need for Regulatory Change
Co-author Dr. Tara Lagu emphasizes the responsibility of medical schools and regulatory bodies like the ACGME and LCME to educate future physicians on caring for disabled patients, addressing long-known bias and discrimination against this population.
Identified Deficits in Medical Education
Interviews with faculty and students at U.S. medical schools between September 2021 and February 2022 revealed key issues in medical education: neglect of disability in curricula, framing disability as an individual problem, negative disability stereotypes affecting workforce diversity, and reliance on ad hoc and student-led efforts for curricular change.
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