Over the years, the LGBT community health experience has been rendered invisible in the mainstream healthcare systems. Often, they have experienced discrimination as well as isolation when it comes to receiving health care services (Pelletier & Tschurtz, 2012). The inequity and disparities faced are mostly associated with race, level of education, as well as the income earned by the individual. Nevertheless, with the recent attention being focused on addressing the issues facing the LGBT community, the move has seen the community receive better health care. There are a number of steps that can be taken to ensure the LGBT community receives quality healthcare services without any discrimination.
First, the leadership in health care facilities should ensure constant demonstration of the ongoing commitment to include the LGBT patients and families in accessing quality health care services. This move should help the LGBT community feel more welcome and free to seek medical help when sickened arises. Additionally, the health care system should strive to understand the patient’s identity as well as behavior (Pelletier & Tschurtz, 2012). By doing so, this would help LGBT patients receive appropriate care, targeted treatment, and screening. Delivering health care that is unique to the LBGT patients helps in enhancing the patient-health provider relationship. Such a relationship helps improve the chances of a patient seeking routine and follow up care since they have confidence in the healthcare provider (Mason, Gardner, & Outlaw, 2016). The relationship allows the healthcare provider to offer information and guidance pertaining to health issues that affect the LGBT community. With the information rendered, LGBT patients can protect themselves and maintain a healthy lifestyle (Colpitts & Gahagan, 2016).
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"Health Care Disparities in the LGBT Community".
Nurses in a healthcare facility are involved in most, if not all, patient care provision services. They should provide a platform that allows LGBT individuals to ask questions and seek information without judgment. This gives unique opportunities for the LBGT community to raise issues and concerns about their health. The LBGT community should receive quality and affordable healthcare services.
- Colpitts, E., & Gahagan, J. (2016). The utility of resilience as a conceptual framework for understanding and measuring LGBTQ health. International Journal for Equity in Health, 15(1).
- Mason, D. J., Gardner, D. B., Outlaw, F. H., & O’Grady, E. T. (2016). Policy and politics in nursing and health care. St. Louis, MO: Saunders.
- Pelletier, M. G., & Tschurtz, B. (2012). Meeting the health care needs of LGBT patients. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 27(2), 95-98.
