We are a team of students and faculty at the University of Texas at Austin collaborating with two international NGOs, SAATHII and Nirangal, to develop an online curriculum for Indian healthcare providers to work more effectively with LGBTQ+ patients. The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the current level of comfort with LGBTQ+ health among the healthcare provider community in Chennai, India. Prior research and literature reviews have indicated that there are unique health challenges among LGBTQ+ communities, yet healthcare providers are largely unaware of or uncomfortable with these issues when interacting with patients.
We will be conducting virtual expert interviews with Chennai-based clinicians, including peer counselors and mental health providers, as well as hosting focus groups with LGBTQ+ community members to understand the current LGBTQ+ health and social care concerns. The data collected from these qualitative research methods will be used to refine the curriculum, with a finalized version of the curriculum content and features presented to providers from the NGO partner networks.
We hope that the insights gathered through interviews with providers will better inform conversations about the accessibility of affirming, culturally-competent care in primary health settings in India. The website is designed to serve as an educational tool for providers in Chennai, with the goal of adapting the curriculum to fit community health needs in Austin and producing research that will equitably serve the LGBTQ+ patient population.