The Science of Pursuing Patient-Centered Care

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers key concepts from Dr. Kristin Flynn Peters' lecture on patient-centered care, cognitive biases, and systemic disparities in healthcare.

Patient-Centered Care

An approach to healthcare where care is collaborative, coordinated, and accessible, prioritizing the patient's physical comfort and emotional well-being while including the family in decisions.

Cognitive Bias

A systematic, non-random pattern of thinking errors that occurs when the brain takes mental shortcuts to process information quickly.

Amygdala

The part of the brain where many fast-acting biases and errors are activated, which can then convert into biased behaviors.

Temporal Lobe

The region of the brain where biases are learned and stored as memories, including overlearned false ideas about different social groups.

Prefrontal Cortex

The region of the brain used for reasoning and executive control that allows individuals to catch and override cognitive biases.

Availability Bias

A cognitive error where a decision is made based on the first thing that comes to mind, frequently influenced by a very recent or memorable experience.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to give greater weight to data that support a preliminary diagnosis while failing to seek or dismissing contradictory evidence.

Anchoring Bias

A cognitive error closely related to confirmation bias where the focus of an evaluation is centered on an incorrect initial impression.

Adultism

A form of social bias or misunderstanding directed toward teens and young adults in the healthcare system.

Weight Bias

Holding problematic attitudes and false ideas about people with heavier weights, such as assuming they are "lazy" or "a waste of time."

eGFR

Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate; a mathematical calculation based on creatinine levels used to estimate how well kidneys are functioning.

Race Correction

A mathematical adjustment for the eGFR implemented in $1976$ based on the false belief that Black people systematically have higher muscle mass than White people.

Social Construct

A concept, such as race, that is created by society rather than being biological or biologically meaningful.

Missouri Hospital Closures

Since $2014$, the state of Missouri has seen $21$ hospital closures, including $12$ rural hospitals.