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Keywords

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Abstract

Context: Previous studies have reported that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA) healthcare providers and student-athletes encounter difficulties in their work or competition settings. Numerous medical professional associations have published statements affirming their commitment to providing equitable healthcare for patients from the LGBTQIA community. However, there is a paucity of research related to building cultural competency among healthcare professionals with regards to LGBTQIA patients. The purpose of this study was to describe the effects of the Coming Out Star exercise on giving sports medicine track resident and fellowship physicians a better understanding of the challenges faced by LGBTQIA patients. Methods: We recruited twelve physicians completing the sports medicine track for their residency or fellowship (30 ± 3 years old, 6 females, 6 males). Participants took part in the Coming Out Star exercise as part of their employee orientation. The exercise consisted of participants selecting a colored star and writing the name of a close friend, a family member, a community they were involved with, a job they wanted, and their life goals on the points of the star. The exercise leader then informed them that they would be read a series of scenarios as if they were a member of the LGBTQIA community who had recently come out to the people around them. Each colored star resulted in different consequences for each scenario. Upon completing the exercise, participants were led through a discussion on their experiences with the exercise, and on the importance of cultural competence for healthcare providers. Following the discussion, participants were asked to fill out a survey on the impact the exercise had on their understanding of the challenges that face members of the LGBTQIA community on a scale of 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 6 (Strongly Agree). A paired sample t-test was performed to determine if the exercise had a significant effect on participants’ understanding of the challenges that face members of the LGBTQIA community with significance set at p < .05. Results: Following the Coming Out Star exercise, participants reported an increase in appreciation for the challenges faced by members of the LGBTQIA community (4.58 ± 0.40 to 5.67 ± 0.14, p < .01). Additionally, all participants agreed that the Coming Out Star exercise gave them new perspective on the importance of empathy in patient care (5.67 ± 0.49). Conclusion: The Coming Out Star exercise appeared to give resident and fellow physicians an increased understanding of the challenges faced by the LGBTQIA community. This suggests that the exercise may be a valuable component of employee training designed to improve delivery of equitable healthcare. Further studies should be conducted to determine the long-term impact of the Coming Out Star exercise.

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