LGBTQ patients have many reasons for not disclosing their sexual orientation or gender identity in healthcare settings – such as homophobic reactions and confidentiality concerns. At the same time, health equity advocates know that this information is needed to identify and eliminate disparities in healthcare.
Doctoral student Jelena Todic and Laura Brown, a communication professor at Western Kentucky University, are bringing LGBTQ voices to the conversation. They conducted surveys and interviews across the country with 300 LGBTQ patients. So far, results indicate that the majority wants healthcare providers to inquire about sexual orientation or gender identity, but almost a third prefer that the information is not recorded. And less than six percent believe that administrative staff should ask about these issues – which contradicts current best practices.
