Colorectal Surgery Fellows' Perspectives on LGBTQIA+ Patient Care: Identifying Specific Educational Deficits.

Area of Science:

• Colorectal Surgery
• Medical Education
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Colorectal surgery requires specialized knowledge for diverse patient populations.
• Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals face unique healthcare challenges.
• Existing medical training may not adequately prepare fellows for SGM patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess colorectal fellows' prior experiences and training in caring for LGBTQIA+ patients.
• To evaluate fellows' perceptions of the clinical relevance of SGM-specific care.
• To identify areas where fellows feel unprepared in providing SGM-inclusive colorectal care.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study utilizing anonymous, voluntary written surveys.
• Participants were colorectal surgery fellows attending a 2024-2025 academic year career course.
• 65 out of 85 (76.47%) eligible fellows completed the survey.

Main Results:

• Most fellows received SGM training in medical school (66.15%) and residency (59.46%), but only 24.61% found it adequate.
• Over 90% desired more knowledge on caring for LGBTQIA+ patients.
• While 89.23% agreed on the importance of tailored care, only 56.9% felt confident discussing sexual health and postoperative outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Colorectal fellows acknowledge the importance of LGBTQIA+ care but report significant training deficits and confidence gaps.
• There is a clear need for structured, specialty-specific education incorporating didactic and experiential learning.
• Integrating targeted LGBTQIA+ healthcare training into fellowships can enhance provider preparedness and promote inclusive patient care.