Most oncologists lack knowledge of LGBTQ patient care, study finds

Many physicians do not have sufficient knowledge of how to treat members of the LGBTQ community who have cancer, researchers report in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

LGBTQ patient care was incorporated in medical school curriculums around 2010, study author Gwendolyn Quinn, PhD, told CBS News. "If you went to school before then, you probably didn't get a lot of that training. And even still if you did get it, you got it as a med student before you identified your subspecialty as oncology," she said.

The LGBTQ population is more likely to spend time in the sun, use tobacco and have substance abuse issues. They also may face personal issues, such as being estranged from their families.

To determine their knowledge of LGBTQ patient care needs, the study authors surveyed 450 oncologists from the 45 National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers in the U.S. The questions evaluated the physicians' knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and willingness to be educated about LGBTQ cancer patients. Most of the survey participants were heterosexual males.

The study found most oncologists said they're comfortable treating LGBTQ individuals, but only half of them expressed confidence in their knowledge of these patients' health needs. They also found a lack of understanding of the personal and family issues these patients may face.

"There's both overt and covert discrimination that happens that we've heard again and again, especially for transgender patients but across the LBGTQ spectrum," said study author Megan Sutter, PhD. "With this research, we're really interested in looking at how discrimination affects not only patient health, but also how can we intervene at the provider level to have an impact on quality of care."

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Webinars