Carly E Guss1, David J Inwards-Breland2, Elizabeth Ozer3, Stanley R Vance4. 1. Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Electronic address: carly.guss@childrens.harvard.edu. 2. Division of Adolescent Medicine, Seattle Children's Hospital, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington. Electronic address: david.breland@seattlechildrens.org. 3. Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Office of Diversity and Outreach, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California. Electronic address: elizabeth.ozer@ucsf.edu. 4. Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California. Electronic address: Stanley.Vance@ucsf.edu.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To determine how the seven Maternal and Child Health Bureau funded Leadership and Education in Adolescent Health (LEAH) programs currently obtain information on gender identity from their patients. METHODS: A computerized survey was sent to all LEAH site directors with questions to identify if and how programs documented youth's gender identity and barriers to implementation. RESULTS: With response rate of 100%, seven LEAH programs reported a total of 43 primary care and specialty clinics. For clinics with Electronic Health Records, 67% of clinics had a standardized gender identity question. Barriers to implementing a standardized question included concerns about confidentiality, lack of trained providers, low numbers of transgender patients, and no validated gender identity question. CONCLUSIONS: Incorporation of inquiry of gender identity is possible in numerous clinical settings that serve adolescents. Future research is needed to determine how this information affects conversations with providers and necessary referrals to treatment.
PURPOSE: To determine how the seven Maternal and Child Health Bureau funded Leadership and Education in Adolescent Health (LEAH) programs currently obtain information on gender identity from their patients. METHODS: A computerized survey was sent to all LEAH site directors with questions to identify if and how programs documented youth's gender identity and barriers to implementation. RESULTS: With response rate of 100%, seven LEAH programs reported a total of 43 primary care and specialty clinics. For clinics with Electronic Health Records, 67% of clinics had a standardized gender identity question. Barriers to implementing a standardized question included concerns about confidentiality, lack of trained providers, low numbers of transgender patients, and no validated gender identity question. CONCLUSIONS: Incorporation of inquiry of gender identity is possible in numerous clinical settings that serve adolescents. Future research is needed to determine how this information affects conversations with providers and necessary referrals to treatment.
Authors: Gina M Sequeira; Kacie Kidd; Robert W S Coulter; Elizabeth Miller; Robert Garofalo; Kristin N Ray Journal: JAMA Pediatr Date: 2020-05-01 Impact factor: 16.193