The Society of General Internal Medicine's Recommendations to Improve LGBTQ + Health

J Gen Intern Med. 2024 Feb;39(2):323-330. doi: 10.1007/s11606-023-08400-3. Epub 2023 Oct 6.

Abstract

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual and gender minority (LGBTQ +) individuals experience bias in healthcare with 1 in 6 LGBTQ + adults avoiding healthcare due to anticipated discrimination and overall report poorer health status compared to heterosexual and cisgendered peers. The Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) is a leading organization representing academic physicians and recognizes that significant physical and mental health inequities exist among LGBTQ + communities. As such, SGIM sees its role in improving LGBTQ + patient health through structural change, starting at the national policy level all the way to encouraging change in individual provider bias and personal actions. SGIM endorses a series of recommendations for policy priorities, research and data collection standards, and institutional policy changes as well as community engagement and individual practices to reduce bias and improve the well-being and health of LGBTQ + patients.

Keywords: LGBTQ +; health equity.; health policy.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Bisexuality
  • Female
  • Gender Identity
  • Homosexuality, Female*
  • Humans
  • Sexual Behavior / psychology
  • Sexual and Gender Minorities*
  • Transgender Persons*