Healthcare Professionals Working with LGBTQ Patients
Abigail Mitchell *
D’Youville College, Buffalo, NY, USA. and Simmons College, Boston, MA, USA.
Megan Somers
Simmons College, Boston, MA, USA.
Amelia Bauder
Simmons College, Boston, MA, USA.
Denecia Lewis
Simmons College, Boston, MA, USA.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Deficiencies in professional training, ethical care, and clinical competence are underlying contributors to healthcare inequities that result in poor health outcomes for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) community. The goal of this paper is to initiate and sustain a sensitive healthcare environment that bridges the gap from traditional approaches for providing care to LGBTQ patients. Training provided on gender and sexuality sensitivity for healthcare professionals is needed to improve communication and to decrease health disparities.
Keywords: LGBTQ, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, healthcare, education