Transgender Health Medical Education Intervention and its Effects on Beliefs, Attitudes, Comfort, and Knowledge

Transgender health disparities have been well documented in the literature in recent years, as have the lack of transgender health issues in medical education programs across the country.

A prospective study was conducted with an hour-long didactic lecture on transgender health being given to faculty, medical students, and residents at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita. The didactic lecture included educational information and presentations by transgender persons. A pre-intervention and two post-intervention survey was given to assess attitudes, comfort level, knowledge, and beliefs regarding the treatment of transgendered persons and associated health concerns. A second post-intervention survey was given at 90 days. The question of what attendees planned to do differently as a result of the intervention was asked.

The intervention provided a significant positive increase in attitudes, comfort levels, and knowledge with respect to transgender health issues between the pre- and post-intervention surveys, however, did not provide a significant positive increase in beliefs on transgender health issues. There was no significant change in attitude, comfort levels, knowledge, or beliefs from the post-survey after 90 days. Four categories of what attendees planned to do differently as a result of the intervention also were identified.

A didactic lecture on transgender health issues can positively change attitudes, comfort levels, and knowledge on transgender health issues significantly with the changes sustaining after 90 days. Beliefs tend to be much harder to change.