The Opportunity for Medical Systems to Reduce Health Disparities Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Patients

J Med Syst. 2015 Nov;39(11):178. doi: 10.1007/s10916-015-0355-7. Epub 2015 Sep 28.

Abstract

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) people experience a variety of health care disparities, including higher rates of certain chronic illnesses, substance abuse, and HIV. The growing adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) presents an important opportunity to optimize care for LGBTI individuals by routinely capturing in structured form patient sexual orientation and gender identity (SO/GI), as well as a patient's preferred name and pronoun. In addition to improving care provided to LGBTI patients, collection of structured SO/GI information will facilitate important public health data collection efforts that can be used to further reduce health care disparities in this underserved population.

Keywords: EHR; Electronic health record; Health Care Systems; Medical Informatics; Public Health.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bisexuality
  • Data Collection / methods*
  • Delivery of Health Care / organization & administration
  • Electronic Health Records / organization & administration*
  • Female
  • Health Status Disparities*
  • Homosexuality, Female
  • Homosexuality, Male
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Sexuality*
  • Transgender Persons*