By /

Alana Gentleman

Unmasking Gender Bias: Pain Disparities in North American Emergency Rooms

Biography

A front-facing professional portrait of a young woman with shoulder-length blonde hair parted in the middle. She has fair skin, blue eyes, a small silver hoop nose ring, and a bright smile showing her teeth. She wears a white ribbed top, a light gray V-neck cardigan with ribbed details and buttons, and a delicate silver necklace with a small charm. The background is solid white.

Alana Gentleman is a fourth-year Professional Communication student at Toronto Metropolitan University. Her capstone project explores gender bias in the treatment of women’s pain in North American emergency rooms, with a focus on how communication influences care.

Details of Project

This capstone project explores gender bias in the treatment of women’s pain in North American emergency rooms, where stereotypes often lead to dismissal, inadequate care, and delayed treatment. Through a literature-based analysis of key studies, the research reveals consistent disparities in how women’s pain is perceived and managed, including longer wait times, less access to pain medication, and dismissive communication. These patterns often result in medical gaslighting.

The project also examines how intersecting factors like race, and disability further amplify these inequities. To address these systemic issues, the study recommends implicit bias training, standardized pain assessment tools, and improved communication practices to support more equitable, patient-centered care.

Lightning talk

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