Integrating LGBTQIA + Community Member Perspectives into Medical Education.

ProblemLGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and all sexual and gender minorities) people have unique health care needs related to their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex development. However, medical education has historically excluded LGBTQIA + health-related content in formal curricula. It is common for medical students to interact with diverse patient populations through clinical rotations; however, access to and knowledge about LGBTQIA + patients is inconsistently prioritized in medical schools. This is especially true for LGBTQIA + patients with intersecting historically marginalized identities, such as people of color and people with disabilities. Learning from and listening to medically underserved community members can help both medical students and educators better understand the unique health needs of these communities, and address implicit biases to improve health care and outcomes for their patients. Intervention: To address the lack of LGBTQIA + health-related content in medical education and improve access to and knowledge about LGBTQIA + patients, LGBTQIA + community members' perspectives and lived experiences were integrated into undergraduate medical education via four primary methods: Community Advisory Groups, community panel events, standardized patients, and community member interviews. Context: LGBTQIA + community members' perspectives and lived experiences were integrated into medical education at Harvard Medical School (HMS) as part of the HMS Sexual and Gender Minority Health Equity Initiative. Impact: LGBTQIA + community members' perspectives and lived experiences were successfully integrated into multiple aspects of medical education at HMS. During this process, we navigated challenges in the following areas that can inform similar efforts at other institutions: representation of diverse identities and experiences, meeting and scheduling logistics, structural barriers in institutional processes, and implementation of community member recommendations. Lessons Learned: Based on our experiences, we offer recommendations for integrating LGBTQIA + community members' perspectives into medical education. Engaging community members and integrating their perspectives into medical education will better enable medical educators at all institutions to teach students about the health care needs of LGBTQIA + communities, and better prepare medical students to provide affirming and effective care to their future patients, particularly those who are LGBTQIA+.

Harvard Medical School's Sexual and Gender Minority Health Equity Initiative: Curricular and Climate Innovations in Undergraduate Medical Education.

PROBLEM: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations face numerous health disparities. Medical school curricula lack adequate educational content preparing students for serving SGM patients, and medical students typically do not experience welcoming, inclusive educational environments conducive to learning about SGM health care. APPROACH: In 2018, Harvard Medical School (HMS) launched the 3-year Sexual and Gender Minority Health Equity Initiative to integrate SGM health content throughout the longitudinal core medical curriculum and cultivate an educational climate conducive for engaging students and faculty in SGM health education. The initiative employed innovative strategies to comprehensively review existing SGM health curricular content and climate; integrate content across courses and clerkships; lead with LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and all sexual and gender minorities) community engagement; adopt an intersectional approach that centers racial equity; cultivate safe, affirming educational environments for LGBTQIA+ and non-LGBTQIA+ students and staff; ensure all graduating students are prepared to care for SGM patients; enhance faculty knowledge, skills, attitudes, and confidence teaching SGM health; evaluate effectiveness and impact of SGM health curricular innovations; prioritize sustainability of curricular innovations; and publicly share and disseminate SGM health curricular products and tools. OUTCOMES: Key outcomes of the initiative focused on 5 areas: development of 9 SGM health competencies, stakeholder engagement (HMS students and faculty, national SGM health experts, and LGBTQIA+ community members), student life and educational climate (increased LGBTQIA+ student matriculants, enhanced mentorship and support), curriculum development (authentic LGBTQIA+ standardized patient experiences, clerkship toolkit design), and faculty development (multimedia curriculum on content and process to teach SGM health). NEXT STEPS: In addition to refining curricular integration, evaluating interventions, and implementing comprehensive antiracist and gender-affirming educational policies, the next phase will involve dissemination by translating best practices into feasible approaches that any school can adopt to meet local needs with available resources.