Medical Students’ Attitude Towards LGBTI+ Patients

Abstract

Background

There are certain health risks of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex and + (LGBTI +) individuals having limited access to health services and considered to be minorities in the community. Most important is the fact that transgender individuals avoid routine health care because of their identities. The perceptions of health care workers about them are determinative on the quality of the health service offered and the decision-making processes related to the disease. The literature shows that LGBTI + individuals receive inadequate health care and are exposed to discrimination by health workers. The aim of this study is to determine the approach of future healthcare workers to LGBTI + patients and in this context the scope of the medical education programs and the hidden curriculum.

Methods

This study was carried out with the clinical students of Ege University Medical Faculty. Data were collected through an online questionnaire applied on a voluntary basis and analyzed in the SPSS statistical program.

Results

The rate of students encountered the concept of LGBTI + at the university is 33%. Learning resources are determined as film, social media, magazine, social environment. 52.4% of the participants stated that they could be affected by beliefs/feelings or thoughts in the interview with the patient. 26.2% of the students were reported that they may exhibit attitude according to the appearance of the patient. The ratio of the students who think that the patient may be trans and that have holistic approach is 6.8%.

5

Conclusions

The concept of LGBTI +, which is frequently learned from non-scientific sources, is not sufficiently involved in education programs. That beliefs, feelings, and thoughts affect the approach to the patient, the attitudes of the health workers can be determined according to the outward appearance may explain the discrimination of health workers. The heterosexist approach poses a risk for the holistic assessment of patients. In this context, it is important that LGBTI + individuals and health risks are included in the curriculum.

Keywords

• LGBT individual,medical student,medical education

Tıp Öğrencilerinin LGBTİ+ Hastalara Yaklaşımı

Abstract

Amaç

Sağlık hizmetlerinden sınırlı yararlanan ve toplumda azınlık oldukları düşünülen lezbiyen, gey, biseksüel, trans, interseks ve + bireylerin (LGBTİ+) belirli sağlık riskleri bulunmaktadır. Bu risklerin en önemlisi, özellikle trans bireylerin kimlikleri sebebiyle rutin sağlık hizmetinden kaçınmalarıdır. Sağlık çalışanlarının bu bireylere ilişkin algıları, sunulan sağlık hizmetinin niteliği ve hastalıkla ilgili karar süreçleri üzerinde belirleyici olmaktadır. Literatür LGBTİ+ bireylerin yetersiz sağlık hizmeti aldığını ve sağlık çalışanlarının ayrımcılığına maruz kaldıklarını göstermektedir. Bu araştırmanın amacı geleceğin sağlık çalışanlarının LGBTİ+ hastalara yaklaşımını belirlemek, tıp eğitimi programlarının bu anlamda kapsayıcılığını ve gizli müfredatı ortaya koymaktır.

Gereç ve Yöntem

Bu araştırma, Ege Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi (EÜTF) klinik dönem öğrencileriyle yürütülmüştür. Veriler, EÜTF Öğrenme Kaynakları Merkezi üzerinden çevrimiçi olarak gönüllülük temelinde uygulanan bir anketle toplanmış, SPSS istatistik programında analiz edilmiştir.

Bulgular

LGBTİ+ kavramını üniversitede duyan öğrenci oranı %33'tür. Öğrenme kaynakları film, sosyal medya, magazin, sosyal çevre olarak belirlenmiştir. Katılımcıların %52,4’ü bir hasta ile görüşmede inanç/duygu ya da düşüncelerinden etkilenebileceğini belirtmiştir. Hastanın dış görünüşüne göre tutum sergileyen öğrencilerin oranı %26,2’dır. Hastanın trans olabileceğini aklına getirip bütünsel değerlendiren öğrencilerin oranı %6,8’dir.

Sonuç

Sıklıkla bilimsel olmayan kaynaklardan öğrenilen LGBTİ+ kavramı eğitim programlarında yeterince yer almamaktadır. İnanç, duygu ve düşüncelerin hastaya yaklaşımı etkilemesi, dış görünüşe göre tutum belirlenebilmesi sağlık çalışanlarının ayrımcılığını açıklar niteliktedir. Heteroseksist yaklaşım, hastaların bütünsel değerlendirilmesi açısından risk oluşturmaktadır. Bu bağlamda LGBTİ+ bireyler ve sağlık risklerinin müfredatta yer alması önem taşımaktadır.

Keywords

• LGBT birey,tıp öğrencisi,tıp eğitimi

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