The healthcare community should be a helpful and welcoming place for patients and physicians of all backgrounds. Often, there is inadequate care and support for LGBTQ+ patients, which can deter them from seeking life-saving medical care. Physicians also may have trouble finding welcoming employment due to their association with the LGBTQ+ community. There are several ways that physicians can create a welcoming space for all members of the LGBTQ+ community through patient care and safe employment.
LGBTQ+ Patient Care
A healthcare practice that consistently uses incorrect names and pronouns, or healthcare aimed solely for straight people is not a friendly or safe place to seek healthcare for LGBT+ patients. There are a few ways that a healthcare practice can make the space more inclusive and friendly for patients of all backgrounds.
Name and Pronouns
While it may be necessary to know a patient’s legal name for record-keeping or medical history, addressing a patient by their chosen name and pronouns can make a healthcare visit a safe and welcoming place. Training all staff to use chosen names and pronouns versus legal names or birth sex when addressing a patient can make a huge difference.
LGBTQ+ Health Education
Adjust your health education for patients to be welcoming for all. Include the LGBT+ community on sexual and reproductive health brochures, and include information about gender-affirming care. Stay up to date on LGBTQ+ health and treatment research for the most inclusive and safe information for your patients.
LGBT-Specific Care
Advertise, offer, and accept LGBT-specific care. This includes LGBT-friendly hormone replacement therapy (gender-affirming), lgbt-friendly reproductive and sexual healthcare, lgbt-friendly access to surgeries, and gender-neutral healthcare terms.
Non-Discrimination Statements
Create and advertise an all-inclusive non-discrimination statement. Be certain your patients and staff know that this is a welcoming space for all, and any discrimination or hostile behavior will not be tolerated.
Create a Welcoming Environment
Do your part to create a welcoming environment for the LGBT+ community, including patients and staff. Report any harassment you may see if you are not in charge of staff. Respect all patients, including their gender, orientation, and any other status or condition they may have.
Patient Forms
Make patient forms inclusive. Include options for pronouns, preferred names, and gender-neutral phrasing. For example, if forms must ask about pregnancy status, don’t refer to it as a specifically female condition; keep it neutral.
Confidentiality Practices
Ensure that all treatments, conditions, and healthcare records are private, and any disclosure about a patient’s LGBTQ+ status will remain confidential. Some patients may not wish to publicly disclose their LGBT+ status due to safety or welfare concerns; this should be respected.
Join LGBTQ+ Directories
Many LGBTQ+ patients attempt to locate welcoming healthcare practices by searching for LGBT-friendly business directories in their area. Including your practice in as many official LGBTQ+ directories as possible can affirm that your practice is trustworthy and safe for patients of all backgrounds.
LGBTQ+ Physician Careers
If you’re in search of a physician career that won’t endanger you due to your status as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, there are a few practices to put into place to increase the chances of a friendlier work environment.
Research Employers
When seeking employment as a healthcare worker, be certain to do your research on prospective employers and practices. Read reviews from both patients and employees. Study the job listing for any discrimination policies. Consider your needs when searching for job listings online; for example, when searching for ‘physician jobs in Montana’, consider proximity, LGBTQ-friendliness, and benefits before applying.
Ask About LGBTQ+ Policies
If you can’t find discrimination or LGBT-friendly policies on websites, job listings, or reviews, consider asking. If you’re upfront about your concerns, a safe and welcoming healthcare practice should have no trouble addressing them.
Networking
Reach out to other LGBT+ physicians or healthcare workers, particularly in your area. There’s a good chance that many will be familiar with the best (and worst) places to work in the area. They may even have friendly employment opportunities available to you. Networking is also a great way to find out if a practice is a good fit for you in all other ways as well.
Applications
Many people prefer not to disclose personal information such as LGBTQ+ status on an application. You can, however, consider being open about it from the beginning to avoid any misunderstandings or future harassment. Alternatively, some applications include spaces for pronouns or preferred names, which can indicate LGBT-friendliness.
Job Benefits
Be certain the practice you apply to has job benefits, particularly those that are friendly to the LGBT+ community, such as trans-friendly healthcare or health insurance.
LGBT+ Patients
A practice’s patient policies can say a lot about how welcoming they are to other employees. Are they welcoming to LGBT+ patients? Do they offer LGBT-friendly healthcare? Are they inclusive and aware of the needs of LGBT+ patients? If the answer is no to any of these questions, it may be a sign that they need updated policies and patient education.
Start a New Practice
Starting a new practice where you can create appropriate patient care policies and safe employment practices is a simple way to guarantee safety for all. Adding your name to the list of LGBT-friendly healthcare practices is a great step toward a more inclusive healthcare industry overall.
Conclusion
The healthcare community can be excluding and unfriendly to both LGBT+ patients and employees. Creating LGBT-friendly healthcare policies for patients and vetting practices for LGBT-friendly environments can make a world of difference as a place to work and provide care to LGBT+ patients. LGBTQ+ healthcare is a much-needed facet of patient health that often goes neglected.
Interlinking Opportunities
From (https://www.lgbtqandall.com/6-essential-health-tips-for-the-lgbtqia-community/) with the anchor LGBT-friendly healthcare
From (https://www.lgbtqandall.com/bridging-digital-health-disparities-in-the-lgbtq-community/) with the anchor creating LGBT-friendly healthcare
