Rural Primary Care Providers' Experiences and Knowledge Regarding LGBTQ Health in a Midwestern State.

Abstract

Health disparities among LGBTQ people have been documented across various settings and recent research has indicated that many disparities are heightened in the context of rurality. Among these disparities is the decreased rate of primary care utilization by rural LGBTQ individuals. Understanding and addressing provider knowledge and attitudes related to LGBTQ health provides a relevant avenue for addressing underutilization. The study presented was a mail-out survey regarding rural primary care providers' knowledge and experiences regarding LGBTQ health. Publicly available records were compiled to recruit a total sample of 113 primary care providers, at a response rate of 19.8%. A majority of respondents reported experience providing care to LGBTQ patients, while only slightly over half had received LGBTQ health education. Data analyses revealed significant associations between reported experiences and patient characteristics including religion, religiousness, age, length of time practicing in current provider role, and gender identity. Provider knowledge of LGBTQ health varied greatly across the items assessed. Provider profession (physician, nurse practitioner, physician assistant) and length of current county residence were significantly predictive of LGBTQ knowledge scores. Results provide insight into rural health care for LGBTQ people. Preeminent findings were: (1) an existing need for LGBTQ health education, (2) variation in knowledge across content areas, and (3) association between knowledge, profession, and length of current county residence. Promotion of rural LGBTQ health may benefit by addressing identified gaps in current care.