Which phrase demonstrates person-first language?

• A. The stroke patient in Room 3
• B. The patient in Room 3 who had a stroke
• C. The patient with diabetes in Room 3
• D. The patient in Room 3 who has a stroke

Answer: (B)

Person-first language centers the person before the medical condition. The phrase that best demonstrates this starts with the label for the person—the patient—and then references the condition as a history rather than a defining trait. “The patient in Room 3 who had a stroke” does exactly that: it keeps the person first and describes the stroke as a past event, not something that defines who the person is. This moves away from labeling someone as a “stroke patient” and avoids making the diagnosis the central identifier.

Other options either label the person by the diagnosis (which defines them by the condition) or frame the condition as current (“has a stroke”), which can imply the condition is an ongoing identity rather than a history. While phrases like “the patient with diabetes” are generally acceptable, the example above most clearly emphasizes the person first and the medical history as separate from the person’s identity.