WIP 66 - The Importance of a Name: Utilizing Phonetic Name Badges within Healthcare Settings

Publication Number: WIP 66.7662

Okechi Boms, Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Deniz Cataltepe, Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Sahr Yazdani, Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Ashley E. Martin, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Tara Bamat, Childrens hospital of philadelphia, Swarthmore, PA, United States

Background: A name is deeply tied to one’s identity and sense of belonging. Repeated name mispronunciation can lead to marginalization, nonacceptance, and be perceived as a microaggression. When people are addressed by their name, and with the correct pronunciation, it conveys respect and builds community.  Building this culture is critical in healthcare settings, as inclusive and effective interdisciplinary communication is crucial to providing the best possible patient care. Moreover, as we work towards recruiting a more diverse workforce in medicine, we must prioritize correct name pronunciation as a component of cultural competence.

Objective: 1.) To allow for trainees to feel seen, heard, and acknowledged across interdisciplinary care teams through correct name pronunciation with the provision and use of phonetic name badges.

2.) To use phonetic name badges as a tool to facilitate open communication and trust-building between trainees, patients, and caregivers in the healthcare setting.

3.) To improve cultural competency by providing trainees, faculty, and staff with strategies to learn correct name pronunciation.

Design/Methods: We sent a de-identified survey to pediatric trainees at a large, free-standing children’s hospital to assess whether they feel their name has impacted clinical and personal experiences. We analyzed the responses to highlight common themes regarding name mispronunciation and conducted a focus group with residents to further characterize these experiences. We noted mispronunciation is associated with personal loss of identity, bias, and difficulty connecting with patients and caregivers. We plan to hold a residency-wide educational conference to discuss the importance of and strategies for learning correct name pronunciation. Concurrently, we will provide phonetic name badges for residents to wear daily on an opt-in basis. After six weeks, we will send out a de-identified survey to assess if our intervention has generated a significant impact in creating culturally competent communication with patients, caregivers, and within teams.