Abstract
In this paper, I comment on a growing literature documenting that many patients perceive their symptoms have been dismissed, ignored, not taken seriously, not believed, etc. (i.e., invalidated) by healthcare providers. I provide a brief, selective review of research reporting on this patient-provider phenomenon in various illness contexts in order to highlight the inconsistency concerning how scholars have been referring to the seemingly same phenomenon. Next, I discuss the challenges this inconsistency poses for scholarship, including how it precludes the ability to understand how it contributes to the patient experience and related health outcomes. I conclude with recommendations for future research.