Gender and Racialization Status of Medical Eponym Namesakes: Cross-sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Many medical eponyms were established when women and racialized individuals were excluded from medicine. The objective of this study was to determine the gender and racialization status of individuals whose names are incorporated in medical eponyms.

METHODS

This study is a cross-sectional analysis of gender and racialization of medical eponym namesakes. The main outcome measures were the study of gender and racialization of medical eponym namesakes found in Whonamedit, Mosby's Medical Dictionary, and the International Classification of Diseases (version 10). The gender and whether the individual was a racialized person were determined using pictures and other available information.

RESULTS

We identified 3484 unique eponyms. White men represented the majority of medical eponym namesakes (2190 of 2327, 94.1%) followed by white women (85 of 2327, 3.7%), racialized men (49 of 2327, 2.1%), and racialized women (3 of 2327, 0.1%). In the ICD-10 sub-analysis, white men represented the majority of medical eponym namesakes (476 of 514, 92.6%) followed by white women (22 of 514, 4.3%), racialized men (14 of 514, 2.7%), and racialized women (2 of 514, 0.4%).

CONCLUSION

Most medical eponyms represent men and white individuals, highlighting the underrepresentation of women and racialized individuals. This indicates a need to re-examine the ongoing use of medical eponyms which may entrench sexism and racism in medicine and contribute to an environment that makes some feel unwelcome or undervalued.

"Stat Rosa Pristina Nomine, Nomina Nuda Tenemus": The Many Syndromes, Diseases, and Anatomic Structures Bearing Jean-Martin Charcot's Name

The sheer magnitude of Jean-Martin Charcot's contributions to neurology, pathology, psychiatry, and internal medicine has allowed for the common usage of eponyms bearing the master's name in recognition of his work. However, these are so numerous that confusion has naturally arisen concerning the exact nature of each eponym, allowing for different specialists to refer to completely different ailments or symptoms, while using the very same expression. Previous compilations of his eponyms were often incomplete. Therefore, the authors aimed to bring some clarification into the nature and origin of each known eponym with Charcot's name.

Case report medical eponyms: an applied clinical informatics opportunity

Medical eponyms are medical words derived from people's names. Eponyms, especially similar sounding eponyms, may be confusing to people trying to use them because the terms themselves do not contain physiologically descriptive words about the condition they refer to. Through the use of electronic health records (EHRs), embedded applied clinical informatics tools including synonyms and pick lists that include physiologically descriptive terms associated with any eponym appearing in the EHR can significantly enhance the correct use of medical eponyms. Here we describe a case example of two similar sounding medical eponyms--Wegener's disease and Wegner's disease-- which were confused in our EHR. We describe our solution to address this specific example and our suggestions and accomplishments developing more generalized approaches to dealing with medical eponyms in EHRs. Integrating brief physiologically descriptive terms with medical eponyms provides an applied clinical informatics opportunity to improve patient care.