Why the 'Word of the Year'? Has a New Meaning in Medicine

LinkedIn (12/12/22) McMahon, Graham T.

Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) President Graham McMahon discusses the detrimental effect of medical gaslighting on the physician-patient relationship. "Studies have shown that medical gaslighting has disproportionately affected women, people of color, geriatric patients and LGBTQ+ patients," he comments. McMahon observes that accredited continuing medical education (CME) extends well beyond clinical knowledge in terms of scope. "Physicians rely on accredited CME to address every medical specialty and cover the full range of topics important to healthcare improvement, such as training on implicit biases, communication skills and strategies for patient-centric care," he writes. In this vein, McMahon notes accredited education seekers can visit ACCME's www.cmepassport.org web application to conduct specialty- and keyword-based searches related to "trust" or "communication" to fulfill educational requirements. Also essential is a set of core competencies to help define the fundamental skills — including interpersonal and communication skills — all practicing physicians should have. "It is clear that many people have felt ignored, mistreated or dismissed during times when they needed compassionate, quality care," McMahon observes. "Fortunately, accredited CME can serve as a vital tool for addressing existing barriers and offer key training on how to deliver effective care when patients need it most."

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