Straight until proven otherwise; improving sexual orientation and gender identity disclosure in healthcare, and its application in Manitoba.

Abstract

Background: The 2SLGBTQIA+ community experiences disproportionately poor healthcare outcomes when compared to their cisgender-heterosexual counterparts. This disparity is thought to be primarily due to a lack of disclosure of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) to healthcare providers. Failure of providers to ask patients’ their SOGI is thought to be the greatest barrier to disclosure. Objective: Discuss the best methods to collect SOGI data from a logistical standpoint, and from a patient and provider perspective. Method: Narrative literature review using PubMed and Scopus databases Results: Nine articles were reviewed and their results categorized into four outcome measures: SOGI fields in electronic medical records, data collection method, patient perspectives on SOGI data collection, provider perspectives on SOGI data collection. Conclusions: Adding SOGI to electronic medical records is an important step in improving disclosure. Both patients and providers prefer an indirect method of data collection such as survey format. Patients want to know why their SOGI is being collected. Provider education in delivering queer-competent care is required. Many of these findings could be implemented in the existing healthcare infrastructure in Manitoba.