BELIEVE THE PATIENT
Patients should not have to fight to be believed when seeking medical care. Believe the Patient challenges medical gaslighting and the dismissal of patients’ lived experiences, empowering patients to advocate for themselves while pushing healthcare institutions to recognize patient perspectives as essential to quality care.
UNDERSTANDING MEDICAL GASLIGHTING
Medical gaslighting happens when patients' symptoms are dismissed or their concerns are brushed aside without being taken seriously.
For people living with chronic illnesses, especially those with conditions that are difficult to diagnose or not immediately visible, this can mean years of searching for answers while struggling to get the care they need.
Although not every disagreement between a patient and provider is medical gaslighting, repeated dismissal can leave patients questioning their own experiences and hesitant to seek care in the future.
By recognizing these patterns, patients can feel more confident advocating for themselves while pushing for a healthcare system that treats their experiences as an essential part of their care.
WHAT WE'RE ADVOCATING FOR
Patient-Informed Medical Education
Medical professionals should learn from the people they care for. We're advocating for greater involvement of patients, particularly those living with chronic illnesses, in medical training to help future physicians better understand experiences that may not be fully captured by clinical findings.
Greater Institutional Accountability
Patients deserve accessible ways to raise concerns when their experiences are dismissed. We're encouraging healthcare institutions to strengthen their complaint and feedback processes, ensuring that reports of dismissive care are taken seriously and used to inform improvements in clinical practice.
A Greater Role for Patient Voices
Reducing Diagnostic Bias
Patients should have a meaningful say in the policies that shape their care. We're pushing for more opportunities for people with lived experience to contribute to healthcare decision-making, so that institutional priorities reflect the needs of those they serve.
We're advocating for greater awareness of diagnostic bias and stronger clinical practices that encourage physicians to investigate persistent symptoms rather than prematurely dismissing them, particularly when patients have conditions that are poorly understood or difficult to diagnose.
HOW TO TAKE ACTION :
1. Advocate for Patient-Informed Medical Education
Medical schools have the opportunity to integrate lived patient experiences into how future physicians are trained. Use our outreach template to contact medical schools and encourage the inclusion of patient-led discussions in their curricula, particularly around chronic illness and diagnostic bias.
2. Push for Stronger Hospital Accountability
Hospitals should have clear procedures for addressing patient concerns, including reports of dismissive treatment. Write to hospital patient relations departments to advocate for more transparent grievance processes and meaningful institutional responses to patient feedback.
3. Document and Report Medical Dismissal
If you've experienced medical dismissal, you have the right to raise concerns about your care. Learn how to document your experience, request corrections to inaccurate medical records, and navigate existing hospital complaint procedures.