The development of gender- and sex-diverse standardized patients for interprofessional learning: a community-based...

This study introduced a novel approach to developing standardized patient (SP) cases for training medical residents and clinical support staff in providing competent and affirming care to gender- and sex-diverse (GSD) individuals. Conducted at a large urban academic medical center, the UNIQUE Project (UNiting in Interprofessional Learning to Serve the QUeer Community Through Education) established the UNIQUE Advisory Board (UAB) to integrate GSD community voices into SP case development. The UAB consisted of GSD community members, Temple University Health Systems faculty and residents, and Lewis Katz School of Medicine faculty and students. GSD community members served as the driving force behind the UAB and collaboratively created four SP cases that addressed experiences impacting care for GSD patients. The UAB employed a community-based participatory research framework to prioritize authenticity, cultural competency, and inclusion in medical training. The LKSOM Simulation Center recruited, trained, and utilized GSD SPs, expanding representation of GSD individuals among the SP actor pool and increasing fidelity of character portrayal. Interprofessional SP encounters invited both medical residents and clinical support staff to develop GSD-focused empathy, communication skills, and cultural sensitivity. The UNIQUE project highlighted the value of interdisciplinary training for enhancing care coordination and providing informed, culturally aware care for GSD patients at all points of a healthcare encounter. The inclusion of community-informed SP cases represented an advancement in bridging gaps in medical education, particularly for clinical support staff who undergo minimal training in GSD-affirming care and often have not been invited to participate in experiential learning like SP encounters. This project emphasized the importance of integrating marginalized voices into medical education and showed how community-informed SP encounters can address systemic biases, improve patient experiences, and foster a more inclusive healthcare environment. These findings contribute to ongoing efforts to standardize GSD-affirming practices across medical education programs.