Abstract
Background: Transgender/nonbinary (trans/NB) patients face stigma in health care settings. Health care professionals' training on trans/NB issues has historically been lacking. Interprofessional education (IPE) provides an opportunity to improve knowledge and attitudes across health care professions. The purpose of this study was to: (a) describe the development and implementation of an IPE workshop on gender-affirming care through a trans/NB community-academic partnership and (b) examine the impact of the workshop on student knowledge and attitudes.Methods: The workshop included a slide presentation on basic terminology and concepts, video clips of trans/NB patient–provider interactions, facilitated discussions of affirming practices, and a trans/NB panel. Nonparametric statistical analysis of pre- and post-survey data from 58 workshop participants measured changes in student knowledge and attitudes.Findings: Students demonstrated statistically significant improvements in knowledge (t=−12.72; p<0.01) and interpersonal comfort (t=−2.06; p<0.05) as well as sex and gender beliefs (t=−3.06; p<0.05) on subscales from the Transgender Attitudes & Beliefs Scale. The results demonstrated no differences on the human value subscale (t=−0.69; p=0.49) or on health care professional questions (t=−1.23; p=0.23).Conclusions: A community-academic partnership developed and implemented this brief interactive educational intervention, which can improve both knowledge and attitudes about trans/NB individuals' health among health professional students.
Highlights
Trans/NB patients report health care providers who display stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors, such as the use of harsh language or verbal harassment, inappropriate use of names or pronouns, insensitivity toward patients’ expressed genders, general displays of discomfort, forcing unwanted or unneeded care, deferral of treatment, blaming patients for their own health, or outright denying necessary treatment.[4,5]. Such experiences and anticipation of further discrimination in health care settings often lead trans/NB patients to delay seeking care,[6,7] which can result in adverse health outcomes.[8,9]
Changes in knowledge were not significantly associated with attitude changes in this sample
Our findings suggest that this brief, interactive educational intervention, developed and implemented through an academic partnership with trans/NB individuals, holds promise for improving both knowledge about and attitudes toward trans/NB individuals
Summary
Transgender and nonbinary (trans/NB) individuals face unique obstacles to accessing quality health care in the United States, including many who regularly face discrimination in health care encounters due to their trans/NB status.[1,2,3] Trans/NB patients report health care providers who display stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors, such as the use of harsh language or verbal harassment, inappropriate use of names or pronouns, insensitivity toward patients’ expressed genders, general displays of discomfort, forcing unwanted or unneeded care, deferral of treatment, blaming patients for their own health, or outright denying necessary treatment.[4,5] Such experiences and anticipation of further discrimination in health care settings often lead trans/NB patients to delay seeking care,[6,7] which can result in adverse health outcomes.[8,9]Nine out of 10 trans/NB individuals believe that there are not enough health care professionals who a M. Interprofessional education (IPE) provides an opportunity to improve knowledge and attitudes across health care professions. The purpose of this study was to: (a) describe the development and implementation of an IPE workshop on gender-affirming care through a trans/NB communityacademic partnership and (b) examine the impact of the workshop on student knowledge and attitudes. Findings: Students demonstrated statistically significant improvements in knowledge (t = À12.72; p < 0.01) and interpersonal comfort (t = À2.06; p < 0.05) as well as sex and gender beliefs (t = À3.06; p < 0.05) on subscales from the Transgender Attitudes & Beliefs Scale. Conclusions: A community-academic partnership developed and implemented this brief interactive educational intervention, which can improve both knowledge and attitudes about trans/NB individuals’ health among health professional students
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