Related to the direct examination and treatment of patients, rather than lab or theory work. It can also describe something very objective and unemotional.
From Greek "klinikos" meaning "of the bed," from "kliné" meaning "bed," because early physicians saw patients at their bedsides. The word moved from "bedside" to anything involving real patients.
Originally, "clinical" meant literally "bedside"—medicine practiced where the sick person lay. Now calling someone "clinical" can mean they’re cold and detached, as if they’re studying you like a case, not feeling with you.
Clinical research and practice have historically been based on male bodies and experiences, with women and gender-diverse people underrepresented or mischaracterized in clinical trials and diagnostic criteria. 'Clinical' language sometimes reflected biases that dismissed women's reported symptoms as emotional rather than physiological.
Use 'clinical' to refer to evidence-based, patient-centered practice that accounts for sex and gender differences without stereotyping. Avoid using 'clinical' as a shorthand to dismiss emotional or relational aspects of care, which are important for all genders.
["evidence-based","medical","healthcare-related"]
Women clinicians and researchers have been pivotal in correcting gender biases in clinical research, from heart disease recognition to reproductive and mental health.
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