New analysis of clinician language in electronic health records indicates bias in sickle cell disease documentation is more strongly associated with opioid use than with race or chronic pain. The study examined nearly 40,000 notes from over 18,000 patients between 2019 and 2020.
Researchers found negative descriptors in 15% of notes for sickle cell patients, rising to 19% when multiple stigmatizing factors were present. Patients with sickle cell disease showed significantly higher odds of negative descriptors compared to Black patients without the condition. Similar patterns emerged when compared to patients with chronic pain.
Interestingly, the study found no significant difference in negative descriptor use between sickle cell patients and those with opioid use disorder. This suggests opioid-related stigma is a critical factor influencing clinician documentation. The findings highlight the need for interventions to address implicit bias in clinical notes, potentially improving care and patient relationships for individuals with sickle cell disease.