For patients who identify as LGBTQ+ in the DFW area, does having access to a LGBTQ+ health and community center and healthcare providers who are well-trained in LGBTQ+ health and wellness (and understand the need for specific and centered treatment in said patients) lead to stronger patient satisfaction, education, and health outcome in comparison to when those same patients visit general primary care physicians?

Abstract

Research Question: For patients who identify as LGBTQ+ in the DFW area, does having access to a LGBTQ+ health and community center and healthcare providers who are well-trained in LGBTQ+ health and wellness (and understand the need for specific and centered treatment in said patients) lead to stronger patient satisfaction, education, and health outcome in comparison to when those same patients visit general primary care physicians?

Background: LGBTQ+ healthcare has vastly improved over the years, and with proper education and training, we have made strides towards equalizing access and awareness. However, there can continue to be a feeling of estrangement between a healthcare provider and a LGBTQ+ patient if the provider is untrained in LGBTQ+ health and wellness, and the patient may feel unheard or their concerns unaddressed. There has been better access made available for centers that have LGBTQ+ healthcare as part of their services, such as Planned Parenthood, but this study will focus on the impact on patients attending a completely LGBTQ+-centered health care center. Methods: We surveyed patients of the HELP center for LGBT Health of the care they received over 1 year. Providers at these centers are specifically trained in LGBTQ+ health, and patients were specifically asked of the accessibility of care they received, their providers’ level of information, and if the center(s) gave them a better sense of security in comparison to providers they currently see/have seen who may have been trained to a lesser extent in such topics. The point is to compare experiences that patients have had and analyze the difference and impact that a LGBTQ+ health center can make on a LGBTQ+ patient’s overall healthcare. We also anonymously surveyed graduate health professions students in the DFW area how informed they feel with the LGBTQ+ health education they have received and address any implicit biases that may serve as a barrier to care when treating such patients.

Results, Conclusions, and Impact: Our results strongly suggested that LGBTQ+ patients felt safer in a LGBTQ+-centered center, felt services were more accessible, and believed providers were more informed in comparison to general primary care office experiences. These data demonstrate the resources that LGBTQ+ health centers can provide for LGBTQ+ patients, and how it can help disintegrate some of the estrangement or lack of understanding on both sides of a healthcare visit. Our long-term goal is to have the HELP center be recognized and serve as a national model of excellence for LGBTQ+ health, and to demonstrate the positive impact that these types of centers can have on a specific population’s health and wellness. The student data demonstrated divided results, with slightly higher proportions of students indicating that respondents are invested in LGBTQ+ health education and that their institution’s training is/was helpful in their treating of LGBTQ+ patients, as well as 50% reporting they believe there are changes that can be made to their institution’s curricula regarding LGBTQ+ health and wellness.