Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Medical Education
Date Submitted: Oct 25, 2024
Open Peer Review Period: Oct 25, 2024 - Nov 11, 2024
Date Accepted: Feb 16, 2025
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Exploring Healthcare Professionals’ Perspectives on Education, Awareness, and Preferences for Digital Educational Resources to Support Transgender, Non–Binary, and Intersex Care: An Interview Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Background:
Healthcare professionals often face challenges in providing affirming and culturally competent care to transgender and non-binary patients due to a lack of understanding and training in transgender and non-binary healthcare. This gap highlights the opportunity for tailored educational resources to enhance healthcare professional interactions with transgender and non-binary individuals.
Objective:
Objective:
The study aimed to explore healthcare professionals’ perspectives on the need for and design of an educational eHealth tool to support them in navigating challenges when interacting with transgender and non-binary individuals. The focus was on addressing the specific needs and concerns healthcare professionals face in these interactions.
Methods:
Methods:
A qualitative research approach was used in this study. Fifteen healthcare professionals were recruited via convenience sampling for semi-structured interviews conducted. Thematic analysis was applied to identify recurring themes and codes.
Results:
Results:
The study identified several themes and subthemes related to societal stigma and vulnerability, healthcare provider challenges, healthcare system gaps, education and training needs, educational resources and features, and the integration and use of eHealth tools. Participants highlighted communication barriers, the need for inclusive language among healthcare providers, and recognized gaps in healthcare system infrastructure and specialized training for gender-affirming care. Additionally, participants expressed a need for comprehensive education on transgender and non-binary health issues, resources for mental health professionals, user-friendly design, and accessibility features in eHealth tools.
Conclusions:
Conclusions:
Addressing the identified barriers and challenges through targeted interventions, such as providing training and support for healthcare professionals, investing in user-friendly design and data security, and promoting cultural competence in transgender and non-binary healthcare, is essential. Despite integration challenges, eHealth tools have the potential to improve patient-provider relationships and access to care.
Citation
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Copyright
© The authors. All rights reserved. This is a privileged document currently under peer-review/community review (or an accepted/rejected manuscript). Authors have provided JMIR Publications with an exclusive license to publish this preprint on it's website for review and ahead-of-print citation purposes only. While the final peer-reviewed paper may be licensed under a cc-by license on publication, at this stage authors and publisher expressively prohibit redistribution of this draft paper other than for review purposes.