Transgender Veterans Are Inadequately Understood by Health Care Providers

Lutwak, Nancy; Byne, William; Erickson-Schroth, Laura; Keig, Zander; Shipherd, Jillian C.; Mattocks, Kristin M.; Kauth, Michael R.

doi:10.7205/milmed-d-14-00001

Cited by 26 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…18 These negative experiences can influence whether or not transgender veterans decide to seek healthcare and continue with ongoing and preventative treatment. The VHA Directive 2013-003 has ensured that VA medical personnel are educated about the needs of the transgender and intersex population.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is a need for more community-based research that brings together the transgender community and VA staff so as to “diminish prejudice, reduce stigmatization, and encourage transgender veterans to obtain needed healthcare.” 18 Programs such as SCAN-ECHO and e-consultation are just two ways that the VA is educating providers about transgender care. However, some of the comments made by our participants illustrate the necessity of ensuring that programs such as these continue to be developed to provide a comprehensive approach to transgender care needs within the VA.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Addressing the Needs of Transgender Military Veterans: Better Access and More Comprehensive Care

Dietert

Dentice

Keig³

2017

Transgender Health

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Purpose: There is a gap in social science literature addressing issues of access and quality of care for transgender military veterans. Psychologists, medical doctors, and other health professionals are beginning to address some of the barriers present in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) system that affect veterans who are also transgender and intersex. Over a 7-year period, between 2006 and 2013, 2600 transgender veterans were served by the VA. Data from several surveys revealed that most transgender veterans perceive the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to be less than accommodating for their special needs. The goal of this study was to investigate the experiences of a sample of transgender veterans with regard to their experiences with healthcare services provided by the VHA.Methods: Using snowball sampling techniques, we were able to recruit 22 transgender military veterans to participate in our study. A combination of telephone interviews and questionnaires provided data from veterans in various branches of the military throughout the United States.Results: Findings indicate that even though the VHA is working to address issues of inequality for transgender veterans, our participants indicated that there are still some problems with administration of care, proper training of staff and physicians, and availability of comprehensive services for the unique healthcare needs of transgender individuals.Conclusion: Since our data were collected, the VA has worked to bridge the gap by focusing on increased training for VHA providers and staff and establishing LGBT programs at VA facilities. However, we suggest that one key area of importance should continue to focus on how mental health and medical providers and ancillary staff are trained to interact with and provide care for their transgender patients.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Addressing the Needs of Transgender Military Veterans: Better Access and More Comprehensive Care

Dietert

Dentice

Keig³

2017

Transgender Health

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“…Awareness of care for transgender patients continues to grow, but health system-level efforts to improve transgender patients' care is a nascent field. Specifically, there is a paucity of formative research on how providers can collaborate with specialists to obtain expert clinical guidance on transgenderspecific care for their transgender patients [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Utilization of the Veterans Affairs’ Transgender E-consultation Program by Health Care Providers: Mixed-Methods Study (Preprint)

Blosnich¹,

Rodriguez²,

Hruska³

et al. 2018

Preprint

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communication-related problems with e-consult, impractical recommendations for underresourced sites, and misunderstanding e-consult purpose. Improvement suggestions included adding concise/sectioned responses, expanding provider/patient program awareness, designating a follow-up contact person, and increasing provider education about transgender Veterans and related care. Quantitative analysis found common reasons for not using the program were: not knowing about it, not needing to use it yet, and getting help from a colleague outside of econsult. Common suggestions to improve program use were: more information about where to find e-consult in the chart, guidance on talking with patients about the program, and e-mail announcements to improve provider awareness of the program. Post hoc exploratory analyses showed no differences between urban and rural providers. Conclusions:The VA transgender e-consult program is useful to providers, but there are several barriers to implementing recommendations, some of which are especially challenging for rural providers. Addressing noted barriers and enhancing the facilitators may improve program use and improve quality care for transgender Veterans.

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“…Other publications have focused on the need of physicians to attain the skills and empathy required to provide excellent care for members of the transgender community . Many transgender individuals have faced complex challenges including being misunderstood by healthcare providers . Lack of adequate medical knowledge may lead to transphobia as well as healthcare disparities …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Transgender individuals face internal struggles, housing instability, financial strain, societal discrimination, stigma, and unfair employment practices. This underserved population additionally suffers from inadequate medical and psychological treatment and is frequently victimized in medical settings with inappropriate and disrespectful conduct or language …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%