Graham Dersnah
Abstract
Due to the damaging assumption that all people are cisgender and heterosexual, many LGBTQIA* (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and community) patients are unwilling to disclose pertinent information or to regularly visit a physician. The purpose of this study is to expand the medical school experience of vocabulary and communication development using standardized patient (SP) encounters. This will better equip physicians in training to establish rapport with future patients, ultimately decreasing infectious diseases transmission rates and improving patient outcomes and safety. Two groups of five students conducted interviews with one SP. One group received LGBTQIA*-focused sexual health and appropriate language-use training, while the other group received basic training. All participants completed a pre-interview survey examining their opinions on their current sexual health education. Participants were given 2 minutes to read the doorway information and 15 minutes to conduct the interview. Biography: Graham Dersnah is a fourth-year student at American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine. He is passionate about LGBTQIA* advocacy and currently holds the American Medical Students Association Gender & Sexuality Health Policy Coordinator position. He believes a key to disease prevention and control lies in equal access to medicine, and compassionate and open communication between physician and patient. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV 101 Consumer Info Sheet (English and Spanish). https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/library/factsheets/ hiv101- consumer-info.pdf. Review August 2019. Accessed [08/30/19] 2. Powell, A. The problems with LGBTQ Healthcare (2018). The Harvard Gazette. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/03/health-careproviders-need-better-understanding-of-lgbtq-patientsharvard-forum-says/ 3. Butler M, McCreedy E, Schwer N, et al. Improving Cultural Competence to Reduce Health Disparities [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2016 Mar. (Comparative Effectiveness Reviews, No. 170.) 3, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Populations. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK361118/