Transgender Health: A Standardized Patient Case for Advanced Clerkship Students

Abstract

Introduction: Transgender patients experience poor health outcomes and often avoid seeking medical care because of negative encounters with providers. Despite growing awareness of the health disparities transgender patients face, there is very little curricular time in medical schools to improve medical students' knowledge and skills for caring for transgender patients. This standardized patient (SP) case was developed for use in a communication challenges workshop for advanced clerkship students in order to address working with transgender patients. Methods: This formative SP encounter takes place in a classroom as part of a half-day workshop on communication challenges with patients. We developed the case to focus specifically on skills related to obtaining patients' preferred names and pronouns, as well as taking an appropriate patient history. Materials for SP recruitment, SP training, and case implementation are included within this publication. Results: In preliminary uses of the case, 80% of students ( N = 64) agreed or strongly agreed that it had increased their skills for working with transgender patients. Observational data from the debrief discussions also revealed that medical students perceived gaps in their medical training regarding LGBT health and expressed interest in their program incorporating more information on transgender health. Discussion: This case adds to a growing number of curricular interventions to address medical students' knowledge and skills with regard to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) patients and, as a result, aims to address health disparities in LGBT patient populations.

The Case of Sean Smith: A Three-Part Interactive Module on Transgender Health for Second-Year Medical Students

“…A review of LGBT health-specific undergraduate medical curricula in MedEdPORTAL revealed 14 dedicated modules, with three specifically aimed at addressing transgender health, [14][15][16] at the time of submission of this module. The majority of the LGBT health curricula published in MedEdPORTAL briefly cover transgender health disparities but do not address transgender-specific health care needs or treatment options.…”

Promoting Affirmative Transgender Health Care Practice Within Hospitals: An IPE Standardized Patient Simulation for Graduate Health Care Learners

“…What is available is focused on preparing medical students uniprofessionally to conduct interviews and examinations with transgender patients using standardized patients or educational films. [7][8][9] Additionally, there is limited literature on interprofessional education (IPE) activities for health care learners to promote affirmative practice with transgender patients. The literature thus far has centered on health equity and uses case studies for discussion but does not highlight the use of standardized patients.…”

Understanding Sexual Complaints and History Taking: A Standardized Patient Case on Dyspareunia for Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship Students

“… 20 Additionally, similar SP cases are being used across other medical disciplines for topics not well covered by the standard curriculum, such as LGBTQI care. 21 …”