In honor of PRIDE 2022, we’re sharing a few takeaways from “Embracing the LGBTQI+ Community: Overcoming Health Disparities and Creating an Inclusive Environment for Our Patients, Providers, and Trainees” session hosted by our Diversity Committee at this year’s DDW® 2022.
Diversity Committee leaders Yamini Natarajan, MD, Sonali Paul, MD, MS, and Christopher David Velez, MD, presented on the importance of the LGBTQI+ community’s history and the increasingly discriminatory policies affecting the way LGBTQI+ patients interact with the health care community.
Key takeaways
- GI as a specialty has been slower than others to recognize the needs of the LGBTQI+ communities and how social determinants of health may impact health disparities that have yet to be studied.
- More research is needed for LGBTQI+ patients with digestive diseases.
- YOU can help create an inclusive clinical environment for your LGBTQI+ patients by:
- Collecting sexual orientation and gender identity during patient encounters.
- Asking about preferred pronouns.
- Taking a sexual history.
- Practicing gender affirming care.
Attended DDW and didn’t get a chance to attend this session? View the session via DDW On Demand (sessions will be available starting June 13). Stay tuned for updates at ddw.org.
