126 - Examination of Transgender and Intersex Materials Published by Professional Medical Associations

Poster Board Number: 126
There are separate poster presentation times for odd and even posters.
Odd poster #s – first hour
Even poster #s – second hour

Abstract Body : Introduction & Objective
Transgender and intersex populations endure limited access to quality, patient-centered care delivered by healthcare providers knowledgeable on their unique care needs, especially those that result from anatomical differences. This may reflect a training gap due to the non-standardized inclusion of diversified anatomical and cultural topics within professional curricula. While Professional Medical Associations (PMAs) do not accredit or regulate educational programs directly, they nonetheless remain largely influential over current areas of focus within healthcare professions and shape curricula development through their publications. To understand the inclusion – or exclusion – of population specific topics in professional curricula, we assessed the current stances of influential PMAs on the subjects.

Materials and Methods
United States-based PMAs were selected across several healthcare professions including those affiliated with physicians, nurses, and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). From the websites of these organizations, we conducted a literature review of open access material pertaining to LGBTQIA+ care published within the last 10 years. Additionally, thematic and content analyses were performed to assess the existence, depth, and specificity of each publication.

Results
The breadth and depth of LGBTQIA+ content coverage varies both within and among the PMAs representing healthcare professions. While many of the PMAs targeting physician and nursing audiences like the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and American Nurses Association (ANA) provide a surplus of diverse material, the availability, quality, and specificity of material toward transgender and intersex populations are not consistent across all PMAs. In other professions, especially within PMAs targeting EMT audiences, topic coverage becomes scarcer with less transgender and intersex population specificity.

Conclusion
While many PMAs acknowledge the need for better care for the LGBTQIA+ community, not all associations across or within healthcare professions provide the resources to improve provider competency, especially in reference to the transgender and intersex populations. PMAs across every healthcare profession should universally prioritize the improvement of LGBTQIA+ patient care and encourage educational reform with population-specific interventions to better prepare all providers to adequately meet the unique care needs of this community.

Significance/Implication
Despite the increased demand for care, many providers remain ignorant of the treatments, clinical recommendations, and preferred anatomical terminology for transgender patients as well as intersex individuals. By universally emphasizing the need for improved cultural and anatomical education, PMAs have the potential to better prepare all providers to adequately meet the diverse needs of the LGBTQIA+ community and improve health outcomes on a national scale.