Training Death Investigators to Identify Decedents' Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity: A Feasibility Study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Mortality Surveillance
• Health Equity

Background:

• Growing need for collecting sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data in mortality surveillance.
• Lack of standardized training for death investigators on SOGI data collection.
• Importance of SOGI data for understanding health disparities in decedents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and test the feasibility of a training program for death investigators on collecting SOGI information.
• To assess the perceived relevance, effectiveness, and future utility of the SOGI training.
• To evaluate the likelihood of death investigators collecting SOGI data post-training.

Main Methods:

• Development of a training module for death investigators on SOGI data collection.
• Feasibility testing with 114 death investigators across three states.
• Pre- and post-training questionnaires assessing perceived outcomes: relevance, delivery success, adequacy, and likelihood of future use.

Main Results:

• Overwhelmingly positive responses regarding the training's relevance, successful delivery, and adequacy for future use.
• Nearly 80% of participants indicated they were at least "somewhat likely" to attempt SOGI data collection in future cases.
• Positive training outcomes appeared higher in sites with strong leadership support for SOGI identification.

Conclusions:

• Training death investigators to collect SOGI information is feasible and well-received.
• Leadership support may be crucial for encouraging SOGI data collection among death investigators.
• The study highlights a potential pathway to improve SOGI data inclusivity in mortality surveillance.