Enhancing Inclusivity in Primary Care on a College Campus

Problem Statement: Individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ+) face higher health disparities and are less likely to seek healthcare due to fear of being misgendered or judged by staff. Purpose: The purpose of this DNP project was to implement an intervention for college students seeking care at Student Health Services (SHS) that includes a question addressing preferred pronouns during establishment of care, creating the opportunity for staff to address patients appropriately and to provide gender-affirming care. Method(s): A pre and post intervention patient satisfaction survey related to sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), and a report created by IT titled Pronouns- Current Term was used to analyze the number of students who listed their preferred pronouns. Analysis: Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate the demographic data of the survey participants, survey responses, and the number of students who updated their pronouns in their health records pre and post intervention. Implications for practice: Listing patients’ preferred pronouns in the electronic health record allowed staff to appropriately address them in a way that aligned with their identity. All patients deserve to feel comfortable and welcome at their physician’s office. A lack of inclusivity in healthcare may have led some patients to avoid seeking the medical care they needed .