Description: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning/queer (LGBTQ+) individuals are frequently underserved and experience significant disparities in health outcomes and accessing preventive and ongoing healthcare. Sexual and gender minorities (SGM) often experience discrimination and bias in health care settings and may delay or avoid medical and preventive care.
Developing safe, culturally competent healthcare environments and practices for LGBTQ+ patients is critical and closely related to individuals’ willingness to openly share their sexual orientation and/or gender identity and expression (SOGIE). Capturing SOGIE data is critical as it allows providers to have a more comprehensive picture of key factors that influence care.
This session will start with a brief discussion of SOGIE terminology and a compilation of what is known about medical and behavioral health needs and disparities among the LGBTQ+ community. We will highlight the critical need for creating environments that improve patients’ psychological safety and increase their willingness to share SOGIE characteristics. We will share examples of how this data could be utilized to improve care and patient satisfaction, including capturing a patient’s preferred name and pronouns, and ways to engage in respectful conversations that could reveal key aspects of their medical history that could otherwise go unnoticed.
Facilitators: Nora Carreras, MPA & Dr. Kevin Waldorf-Cruz, LICSW, LCSW-C
