Online Program

291210
Preparing the primary care workforce to address health needs of LGBT patients: Results from the CERA study


Monday, November 4, 2013 : 5:30 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.

Giang T. Nguyen, MD, MPH, MSCE, FAAFP, Dept of Family Medicine & Community Health, Center for Public Health Initiatives, and Penn Medicine Program for LGBT Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Marty Player, MD, MSCR, Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
Keisa Bennett, MD, MPH, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
Abbas Hyderi, MD, MPH, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Medicine, Chicago, IL
Cara Herbitter, MPH, CPH, Department of Family Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY
Ariana Bennett, MPH, Department of Family & Social Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
BACKGROUND: Primary care physicians often serve on the frontlines addressing clinical and public health needs of communities. What little is known about LGBT health education of primary care doctors during residency training suggests the need for improvement. Further, the degree to which training programs express comfort with accepting and training LGBT applicants has implications with regard such programs' ability to address the needs of LGBT patients. METHODS: Internet survey of U.S. family medicine residency directors about resident training on LGBT health, administered by the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine as part of the CERA study. Variables included residency program characteristics (size, location), LGBT curricular content, presence of openly LGBT faculty, program capacity to teach LGBT health topics, barriers to teaching about LGBT health, and comfort level in accepting openly LGB trainees and openly transgender trainees. RESULTS: 212 of 431 program directors surveyed responded (49.1%). Based on program director report, a majority of programs spent some time on LGBT health: 72% 1–5 hours and 12% >5 hours; 40% have openly LGBT faculty, and 60% have faculty willing to teach LGBT content. Nearly 90% had no concern about selecting LGB applicants for training in their program, but comfort about selecting transgender applicants was lower. Programs with LGBT faculty spent more time on LGBT content than those without (22% versus 6% spending >5 hours). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows progress in family medicine residency education and openness on LGBT issues compared to prior reports, but there remains room for further improvement.

Learning Areas:

Administration, management, leadership
Clinical medicine applied in public health
Diversity and culture
Provision of health care to the public

Learning Objectives:
Describe findings about LGBT health curricula from a new survey of family medicine residency program directors. Identify challenges that continue to affect the integration of LGBT health issues into the training of family physicians in the United States. Discuss future directions to ensure that the primary care workforce is prepared to address the health needs of LGBT communities.

Keyword(s): Lesbian Health, Gay

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a faculty member in a family medicine residency program and also a faculty member in a graduate program in public health. I have over 15 years experience addressing public health and medical education issues in LGBT communities.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.