Evaluation of services provided in a gender health clinic

Abstract

BackgroundTransgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals face discrimination and mistreatment in healthcare spaces, resulting in poor health. The Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) Gender Health Clinic was launched in September of 2022 to meet the healthcare needs of TGD patients. ObjectiveDescribe services provided in and patient satisfaction with an interdisciplinary Gender Health Clinic serving TGD patients. Practice DescriptionThe Gender Health Clinic is a subspecialty clinic of the MAHEC Family Health Center in Asheville, North Carolina. The clinic offers interdisciplinary services to TGD patients, including primary care, gynecology, and medication management. Practice InnovationThe interdisciplinary clinic team was assembled to create a safe environment for TGD patients to receive medical care. The pharmacy team facilitated provider training, consolidated clinical references, and provided comprehensive patient education on hormone therapy. Evaluation MethodsA quantitative description of services and patient demographic information was evaluated through a retrospective chart review of the first six months of the clinic. Patient satisfaction was evaluated through anonymous questionnaires. ResultsForty-four patient encounters were evaluated for 23 unique patients. The mean age was 26.6 years, and 65.2% of patients were assigned female at birth. Gender identities were distributed across male (39.1%), female (34.8%), and non-conforming (26.1%). Nearly all patients (97.7%) received documented general education from any provider. Most patients (79.6%) received prescriptions for hormone therapy. More than one-third (38.7%) of patients had a documented pharmacist interaction. Twenty-one questionnaires were completed out of 23 unique patients. All respondents rated their overall experience as “Excellent” or “Very Good.” Highly rated positive clinical interactions included courteous clinical staff (4.9) and having needs met (4.8). Ease of scheduling an appointment (4.3) was rated lowest among all questionnaire items. ConclusionThe positive patient experiences and level of services provided suggest a promising start to MAHEC’s Gender Health Clinic.