Interprofessional Teams in Reducing LGBTQ Discrimination in Healthcare

Interprofessional Teams in Reducing LGBTQ Discrimination in Healthcare

Casey et al. (2019) show that most LGBTQ individuals avoid the hospital due to anticipated discrimination and trauma from past experiences in healthcare. Discrimination in healthcare can lead to poor care services access and quality and safety outcomes. Thus, there is a need to ensure that individuals have good access to care interventions. Numerous reports show that the LGBTQ community has faced discrimination where care providers are reluctant to treat them and have been turned away by health insurance policies (Casey et al., 2019). Ramsey et al. (2022) state that interprofessional teams have roles in advocating for the rights of the LGBTQ in healthcare by ensuring services are gender flexible. They also have a role of voicing their concerns in policy development to ensure accommodation of the LGBTQ community.

The interprofessional team also has the role of developing gender-sensitive policies in care delivery. These include developing competencies for culturally sensitive care to ensure inclusivity and diversity in healthcare (Ramsey et al., 2022). Communication is vital to creating good relationships, and verbal harassment is the most common harassment method in healthcare. Stokes (2019) note that nurses and other healthcare providers are patient advocates and fight to develop healthcare laws and policies that favor their patients. A robust needs assessment informs these policies. 

Interprofessional teams should invest in understanding the unique needs of these patients to assist in policy development, research, and education directed toward meeting these needs (Ramsey et al., 2022). An interprofessional team approach is crucial due to the various effects of discrimination, and varied perspectives are necessary to prevent and manage LGBTQ community discrimination and sequelae. Jaffe (2020) states that interprofessional teams should first develop policies that protect LGBTQ employees from harassment and transfer the same energy to the general population, leveraging current supporting laws and policies. Interprofessional teams have vital roles to play in protecting the LGBTQ community, including fellow employees, from discrimination, violence, and poor healthcare access,

Evidence and Position Statement of LGBTQ Discrimination in Healthcare

Institutions such as ANA show that discrimination against the LGBTQ and gender expression is rampant despite the widespread efforts to fight the discrimination. ANA is the nursing professional body responsible for guiding nursing practices. The professional body condemns discrimination by nursing professionals against individuals based on sexual orientation. It supports efforts to defend and protect human and civil rights, including the right to work, live, study, or serve without harmful activities such as bullying, bias, and harassment (Stokes, 2019). Nurses should offer services to all patients regardless of their faith, age, health status, culture, or sexual orientation. The care focus is maintaining human dignity and lessening the health disparities in the LGBTQ community.  

The Affordable Care Act also supports the LGBTQ community in accessing care services. The act prohibits healthcare facilities, insurers, health plans, and healthcare employees from discriminating against individuals based on their orientation (Zanetos & Skipper, 2020). LGBTQ patients are given all rights as the general population in healthcare access. Rosenthal et al. (2022) note that the center for Medicaid and Medicare is a non-discriminative insurer to ensure health insurance coverage and the elimination of healthcare disparities present in the LGBTQ communities. ACA provisions also require healthcare plans to provide all-sex-specific preventive services, meaning that LGBTQ individuals cannot be denied these services due to the sex assigned at birth (Zanetos & Skipper, 2020).

Statistics show that more than 1.8 million teens identify as LGBTQ, about 6% of the adults identify as LGBTQ, and about half are bisexual (Casey et al., 2019.). These individuals are prone to violence and mental health issues and reports show that LGBTQ individuals are more exposed to depression, suicide, and psychological distress (Kassing et al., 2021). Most of these individuals face multiple problems, from hatred in the community, being chased away from home, and bullying at the workplace and school. 

Kassing et al. (2021) show that numerous reports have linked identifying as LGBTQ to widespread hatred and subsequent physical abuse, which have detrimental effects on victims; physical and mental well-being. Transgender individuals are most significantly affected due to the physiologic changes associated with their orientation that affect their social interactions. Statistics in the criminal justice system also show that