Patient-reported postoperative pain and stigmatizing language in anesthesia notes: a cross-sectional study (2017–2019)
Main finding · Any stigmatizing languageResult — go to the resultAdjusted odds ratio 1.64 95% CI 1.26–2.13Authors' conclusion
In this cross-sectional study, postpartum patients with pain had increased odds of stigmatizing language.
Study context
- Population
- Obstetric patients at two hospitals, 2017–2019, with cesarean delivery or other operative procedure during delivery hospitalization
- Participants
- 4,383 electronic health records
- Exposure
- Postoperative pain vs no pain
- Outcome
- Any stigmatizing language in free-text postoperative anesthesia notes (NLP algorithm)
Methodological detailstwo hospitals, multivariable logistic regression, natural language processing
- Two hospitals
- Multivariable logistic regression
- Natural language processing
Main finding
Any stigmatizing language
Adjusted odds ratio
1.64
95% CI 1.26–2.13
Pain vs No pain
aOR 1.64 (95% CI 1.26–2.13)
As reported in the abstract
- Stigmatizing language in postoperative notes (all patients)
- 9.9%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | aOR (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Language labeling patient as 'difficult' | 1.81 (1.34–2.45) | |
| 0.512Adjusted odds ratio (log scale) |
Marginalized language/identities, unilateral/authoritarian decisions, questioning patient credibility
- No significant differences between patients with and without postoperative pain
Original publication
Patient-reported postoperative pain and stigmatizing language in anesthesia notes: a cross-sectional study (2017–2019). Int J Obstet Anesth. Published 24 November 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →