Evaluation of LGBTQ+ Health Education in the Preclinical Curriculum at a Public Midwest Medical School.

INTRODUCTION

People who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) face health disparities and negative health care experiences. Medical student education may be leveraged as a strategy to improve care for these patients; however, studies suggest gaps in current LGBTQ+ health education.

OBJECTIVE

This project sought to evaluate how LGBTQ+ health is taught in the preclinical curriculum at a Midwest medical school.

METHODS

The institution's curriculum repository was searched systematically for materials that included information on LGBTQ+ health used in preclinical courses in the 2021-2022 academic year. Information was compiled based on previously utilized evaluation tools and additional measurements developed by the authors to provide further clarity.

RESULTS

Seventy items were identified in the curriculum repository; 38 (54%) were required for students to review. Commonly addressed topics include communication skills, terminology, and variations in sex characteristics. Topic gaps identified include mental health, cancer screening, and gender-affirming care. Among the 33 clinical skills sessions in the preclinical curriculum, 5 standardized patient cases included LGBTQ+ patient representation.

CONCLUSIONS

There was variability in coverage of LGBTQ+ health topics, with particularly more on language and variations in sex characteristics and less on mental health, cancer screening, and gender-affirming care. This study identifies opportunities to improve LGBTQ+ health education and demonstrates a framework that may be applied to evaluate curricula in other programs, to ideally enhance coverage of this material and, ultimately, improve care of LGBTQ+ patients.