Integration of Sex and Gender Minority Standardized Patients into a Workshop on Gender-Inclusive Patient Care: Exploring Medical Student Perspectives

Abstract

Objectives: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) communities experience significant health disparities. Although coverage of health issues specific to these communities has increased in the undergraduate medical curriculum, there is still opportunity for improved teaching about sexual diversity and inclusive care. The goal of this study was to assess students' perceptions of and satisfaction with a half-day workshop focused on sexual history taking and transgender health. Methods:The second-year clinical skills course at the Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine includes a sexual history workshop that starts with a 1-hour lecture on sexual history taking. This is followed by a faculty-facilitated small group session during which students interview an SGM patient and debrief about this experience. In 2020, for the first time, the standardized patients were members of the SGM community, and the session was on Zoom. Students completed an optional, anonymous postsession survey assessing the workshop.Results: Students overwhelmingly believed that the integration of SGM standardized patients into the session helped improve their knowledge, attitudes, and skills related to providing care for this population. They noted that the standardized patient interaction and debriefing were the most beneficial parts of the session.Conclusions: Given the positive feedback, future iterations of this session will continue to use the SGM community as standardized patients. In addition, student competency related to SGM patient care will be assessed through observed structured clinical examinations.

LGBTQ+ health education for medical students in the United States: a narrative literature review

“…This review found that certain competencies in the report are being addressed in these efforts to enhance LGBTQ+ medical education. Specifically, a competency that was addressed across many studies within the domain of patient care describes the expected ability for graduating students to obtain an inclusive sexual history, ‘Sensitively and effectively eliciting relevant information about sex anatomy, sex development, sexual behavior, sexual history, sexual orientation, sexual identity, and gender identity from all patients in a developmentally appropriate manner.’[ 4 ] This competency was addressed by 13 interventions in this literature review [ 20 , 23 , 31 , 43 , 46–48 , 62 , 66 , 82 , 84 , 88 , 94 ]. However, there remains work to be done in this field in order to fully address all recommended competencies.…”