Increasing Education and Awareness of Patients who Identify as Transgender in Primary Care​

Author

Cindy WallaceFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-5-2023

Document Type

DNP Project

Project Team Faculty Member

Dr. Kelley McGuire

Project Team Faculty Member

Dr. Greg Jennings

Keywords

Transgender, Attitudes, Awareness, Barriers, Education, Providers

Abstract

Background. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and individuals who identify as transgender and queer (LGBTQ) often experience negative healthcare encounters (Parameshwaran et al., 2017). According to the Williams Institute of Law (2022), there are 1.3 million adults who self-identify as transgender. This education project utilized a pre/post-test design to explore attitudes, practices, and knowledge of primary care providers when interfacing with individuals who identify as transgender in primary health care settings.

Theoretical Framework. This project was guided by Lewin’s Change Theory.

Methods. Primary care providers in an urban community health clinic received a pre and post-education survey. A teaching session was delivered to the primary care providers to increase knowledge and awareness of treatment modalities needed to improve health care for this population.

Results: Surveys were sent to 10 providers. Pre-test surveys were received from 100% of providers (n=10), and post-test surveys were received from 80% of providers (n=8). Post-test scores revealed substantial differences on some survey items. Participants on the post-test indicated a higher average agreement with the statement “I have sufficient training to provide primary care to patients who identify as transgender” compared to pre-test data (mean = 4.25; mean = 3.5, respectively).

Implications for Practice. Future work in this area should include teaching and educational programs in the healthcare curriculum to increase the knowledge and awareness of primary care providers when interacting with individuals who identify as transgender.

Recommended Citation

Wallace, Cindy, "Increasing Education and Awareness of Patients who Identify as Transgender in Primary Care​" (2023). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 264.
https://spark.siue.edu/dnpprojects/264

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