In notes, how should you refer to a patient to align with person-first language unless the patient expresses otherwise?

• A. A disabled patient
• B. A patient with a disability
• C. A patient who is disabled
• D. The disability patient

Answer: (B)

Using person-first language in notes means referring to a patient by their personhood before any condition or disability. The default is to align with this approach unless the patient has expressed a different preference. Therefore, the best phrasing is: a patient with a disability. This emphasizes the person first and treats the disability as one aspect of who they are, not the defining feature. It supports respectful, patient-centered documentation and helps avoid reducing the person to their disability.

The other phrasings are less appropriate for nuanced, respectful notes. Saying “a disabled patient” centers the disability as the primary descriptor in a way that can feel stigmatizing. “A patient who is disabled” moves toward labeling the disability as a defining characteristic of the person, which can still feel limiting. “The disability patient” is awkward and incorrectly frames the person by their disability, which is not suitable for professional documentation.