Educating Radiology Stakeholders on Relevant Health Issues and Terminology Regarding LGBTQIA+ Patients in 2023.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Radiology
• Health Equity

Background:

• Over 20% of LGBTQIA+ individuals face healthcare discrimination, leading to delayed care and worse health outcomes.
• Radiology lacks formal education on LGBTQIA+ specific health needs and inclusive imaging practices.
• Members of the LGBTQIA+ community routinely require imaging studies, highlighting a critical gap in specialized training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of an educational conference on LGBTQIA+ health disparities and inclusion in radiology.
• To evaluate the impact of targeted education on radiology residents' knowledge of LGBTQIA+ healthcare needs.
• To identify actionable strategies for fostering inclusivity in radiology departments.

Main Methods:

• A 1-hour educational conference was delivered to radiology residents.
• Topics covered included LGBTQIA+ health disparities, radiology-specific clinical nuances, and inclusion strategies.
• A 12-question multiple-choice pre- and post-conference examination assessed knowledge gain.

Main Results:

• Significant median score increases were observed across all resident years post-conference.
• First-year residents' scores rose from 29% to 75%; second-year from 29% to 63%; third-year from 17% to 71%; fourth-year from 42% to 80%.
• The educational intervention effectively enhanced resident understanding of LGBTQIA+ health issues.

Conclusions:

• Radiology has opportunities to improve LGBTQIA+ inclusion at provider and administrative levels.
• A dedicated radiology education module is effective in promoting knowledge of clinical nuances and health inequities for the LGBTQIA+ community.
• Implementing such modules can foster more inclusive environments in radiology.