Bias toward the LGBTQIA+ community by Australasian paramedicine students

Abstract

Background: Paramedics are an essential component of the healthcare system, providing unscheduled out-of-hospital care in a manner that should be unbiased towards all. Yet some members of the LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex and asexual) community still experience stigma when accessing healthcare, including paramedicine, which impacts health outcomes. Aims: This study aimed to ascertain the prevalence of bias among paramedicine students toward the LGBTQIA+ community. Methods: This prospective cross-sectional quantitative study surveyed undergraduate paramedicine students enrolled in Australasian universities using a validated scale. Findings: The 189 responses indicated mostly positive attitudes toward the LGBTQIA+ community, but 33 showed repulsion or pity. Additionally, students had a generally poor opinion of the LGBTQIA+ content of their degree course. Conclusion: Paramedicine students are mostly positive towards members of the LGBTQIA+ community but their poor opinion of LGBTQIA+ undergraduate education could perpetuate a negative healthcare environment that many LGBTQIA+ patients face. This necessitates future investigation of work on paramedicine LGBTQIA+ curricula.