A new study found that LGBT+ patients treated in emergency rooms were two and a half times more likely to prefer disclosing their sexual orientation on a written form rather than in conversation with a health care provider.
Study co-author Adele Levine noted that healthcare organizations recommend this kind of data collection. “From a population health standpoint, collecting these data can help identify if there are disparities in care and direct efforts to address these inequities. On a patient level, it can create a dialogue between patients and clinicians and promote a welcoming, inclusive environment,” Levine added.
Collecting sexual orientation and gender identity in the same way that other demographic information (such as race, age and ethnicity) is collected could normalize conversations between doctors and patients and could help ultimately improve health disparities in LGBT+ populations.
Read more at Thomson Reuters.