Health Care Disparities Gap in the LGBTQ Community

Closing the Health Care Disparities Gap in the LGBTQ Community

The LGBTQ community faces significant health care disparities that stem from a combination of social stigma, discrimination, and lack of provider knowledge. Addressing these disparities requires a multifaceted approach that includes policy changes, education, and the creation of inclusive health care environments. This discussion outlines several strategies to help close the health care disparities gap for the LGBTQ community.

Policy Changes

Inclusive Health Policies: Health policies need to explicitly include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected categories to prevent discrimination. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) made strides in this direction by prohibiting discrimination based on sex, which the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) interprets as including gender identity and sexual orientation (Office for Civil Rights, 2016). Continuing to uphold and expand these protections is crucial.

Insurance Coverage: Ensuring that insurance plans cover necessary health services for LGBTQ individuals, such as hormone therapy for transgender patients and mental health services for all LGBTQ persons, is essential. The elimination of exclusions for gender-affirming care in insurance policies is a critical step toward equitable health care access (James et al., 2016).

Education and Training

Cultural Competency Training: Health care providers often lack the knowledge and skills to address the unique health needs of LGBTQ patients. Incorporating comprehensive LGBTQ health care training into medical and nursing school curricula can significantly improve the quality of care provided. Studies show that cultural competency training improves providers’ attitudes, knowledge, and skills regarding LGBTQ health issues (Lim et al., 2014).

Continuing Education: Regular continuing education opportunities focused on LGBTQ health can help current health care providers stay updated on best practices and emerging health care needs within this community. These programs should cover topics such as the use of inclusive language, understanding gender identity, and addressing specific health concerns like higher rates of certain cancers and mental health issues in LGBTQ populations (Klein & Nakhai, 2016).

Creating Inclusive Health Care Environments

Inclusive Practices: Health care settings should adopt inclusive practices to make LGBTQ patients feel welcome and respected. This includes using gender-neutral language on forms and during interactions, providing unisex restrooms, and displaying symbols of LGBTQ inclusivity, such as rainbow flags. These visible signs of acceptance can help reduce patient anxiety and improve their overall experience (Grant et al., 2011).

Patient-Centered Care: Health care providers should practice patient-centered care by asking patients about their sexual orientation and gender identity in a respectful manner and using their preferred names and pronouns. Establishing trust through respectful communication can significantly enhance the patient-provider relationship and encourage LGBTQ individuals to seek care more regularly (Durso & Meyer, 2013).

Research and Data Collection

LGBTQ Health Research: There is a need for more research focused on the specific health issues faced by LGBTQ individuals. Increased funding and support for studies that explore health disparities, effective interventions, and outcomes for LGBTQ patients can inform better health care practices and policies. Collecting data on sexual orientation and gender identity in health surveys and medical records is also crucial for understanding and addressing health disparities (Institute of Medicine, 2011).

Community Engagement: Engaging the LGBTQ community in health research and policy development ensures that their needs and perspectives are considered. Establishing advisory boards or committees with LGBTQ representation can provide valuable insights and help shape more effective health care strategies (Hafeez et al., 2017).

Conclusion

Closing the health care disparities gap for the LGBTQ community requires concerted efforts across multiple fronts, including policy changes, education, inclusive practices, and research. By implementing these strategies, health care systems can move toward providing equitable care for all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Health care providers, policymakers, and researchers must work collaboratively to ensure that the LGBTQ community receives the high-quality, respectful, and inclusive care they deserve.

References

Durso, L. E., & Meyer, I. H. (2013). Patterns and Predictors of Disclosure of Sexual Orientation to Healthcare Providers Among Lesbians, Gay Men, and Bisexuals. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 10(1), 35-42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-012-0105-2

Grant, J. M., Mottet, L. A., Tanis, J., Herman, J. L., Harrison, J., & Keisling, M. (2011). Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey. National Center for Transgender Equality and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

Hafeez, H., Zeshan, M., Tahir, M. A., Jahan, N., & Naveed, S. (2017). Health care disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth: a literature review. Cureus, 9(4), e1184. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.1184

Institute of Medicine. (2011). The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding. The National Academies Press.

James, S. E., Herman, J. L., Rankin, S., Keisling, M., Mottet, L., & Anafi, M. (2016). The Report of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. National Center for Transgender Equality.

Klein, D. A., & Nakhai, M. (2016). Assessment of Longitudinal Medical Student Education in LGBT Health. Teaching and Learning in Medicine, 28(3), 271-277. https://doi.org/10.1080/10401334.2016.1176517

Lim, F. A., Brown, D. V., Jr., & Justin Kim, S. M. (2014). Addressing health care disparities in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender population: a review of best practices. American Journal of Nursing, 114(6), 24-34. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000450423.89759.36

Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2016). Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities. Federal Register, 81(96), 31376-31473.