Be compassionate, inclusive, respectful, and conscious of the impact of our words. Exemplify our values.
Genders
Avoid using words and phrases that needlessly identify gender.
For example, instead of saying, "Patient and the lady doctor," say, "patient and the doctor."
Use gender neutral job titles and terms.
For example, a police officer not policeman, mail carrier not mailman, businessperson not businessman or businesswoman.
The use of Mrs. or Miss should not be used unless a woman specifically asks to be addressed that way. Instead, the more neutral title “Ms." should be used, or just write out the entire name, i.e., "Jenny Johnson”.
Race and Ethnicity
References to identify race, religion, culture, etc. should be avoided in MEDHOST content unless absolutely necessary in the context of the content.
Disability
Terms such as "crippled victim and "handicapped" should not be used. Instead, "person or persons with a disability" should be used if a disability must be mentioned in the content. “Handicapped parking” is fine to use.
Age
Age should not be referenced unless it is absolutely relevant to your content. Age-related descriptors like “young,” “old,” or “elderly” should be avoided.
Heritage and Nationality
Hyphens should not be used when referring someone with dual heritage or nationality. For example, use "Asian American" instead of "Asian-American”.
Mental and Cognitive Conditions
Don’t refer to a person’s medical condition unless it’s relevant to what you’re writing.
Don’t describe a person as “mentally ill.” If you must refer to a person’s mental or cognitive condition, apply the same rules as writing about people with physical disabilities or medical conditions and highlight the person first.
