Un | Harmed is a guide for people who are afraid Un | Harmed is a guide for people who are afraid of the doctor, or who experience some variation of the sentiment "I hate going to the doctor," and who hope to feel more comfortable in these encounters. It is also a guide for healthcare providers who want to better understand this phenomenon and change their practice to help patients feel safe and in control in their presence.
Fear of healthcare encounters may be based on a bad experience, or on the long history of unethical treatment of Black, Brown and Indigenous people, immigrants, women, people who are LGBTQ+, prisoners, those who are low income, people with mental illness, and people with disabilities. This guide aims to help us, in the role of patients, see more clearly why we feel so afraid, and more importantly, take the shame and self-blame away from the bad experience. It also aims to help those of us in the role of providers develop practices for making healthcare less scary.
