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Jane Ann Cunningham
Avalon, NJ

JAMA. 1982;248(14):1708.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.—

Mrs Natkins' article (1982;247:2415) should be read by every physician, dentist, and hospital employee. I have been infuriated for years by the practice she describes. As Mrs Natkins points out, those in the medical field who call patients (mostly women) by their first names are subtly relegating them to an inferior level. This is a dehumanizing process.

Hospital patients who are often in pain, worried, and frightened do not need any more problems. Having their last shred of dignity stripped away when strangers young enough to be their children call them by their first names is not conducive to helping morale. (As a retired RN from the era when all patients, regardless of social class, were respectfully addressed by their last names, I realize that there are a few occasions when calling a patient by his first name can stimulate consciousness.)

My childrens' friends do not call . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Footnotes
Edited by John D. Archer, MD, Senior Editor.

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