Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 27, 2026
Involving Individuals with Developmental Language Disorder and Their Parents/Carers in Research Priority Setting
Published on: June 6, 2020
Personal Family-Centred Care for LGBTQ+ Individuals in Acute Hospital Settings: A Scoping Review
Gideon U Johnson1, Bianca Ysabelle Esmeralda2, Stephen Pearson1,2
1Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Palliative Care, King's College London, London, UK.
Aim:
To identify and synthesise existing evidence on family-centred care for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and other diverse identities (LGBTQ+) people in acute hospital settings, including hospital-based palliative care, oncology, general in-patient and intensive care.
Design:
A scoping review guided by the JBI methodology.
Methods:
Nine databases and grey literature sources were searched. Inclusion criteria focused on LGBTQ+ adults and family-related care experiences in hospital-based acute settings. After screening, qualitative, quantitative, and narrative data were extracted. Thematic analysis synthesised findings, with quantitative data narratively integrated.
Data Sources:
Searches were conducted across nine databases and grey literature up to April 2025.
Results:
Five studies met inclusion criteria: three qualitative, one quantitative, and one reflective narrative. Four themes emerged: (1) invisibility and disclosure dilemmas, (2) exclusion of chosen families from visiting and decision-making, (3) barriers to inclusive communication and provider competence, and (4) enabling conditions for affirming care. Challenges occurred at interpersonal (e.g., provider assumptions, discomfort) and structural (e.g., lack of inclusive protocols, failure to recognise legal surrogates) levels. In the two studies reporting gender identity, transgender participants described heightened misrecognition and exclusion.
Conclusion:
LGBTQ+ individuals and their chosen families face relational and structural barriers in acute hospital care. Inclusive interventions, protocols, and training are urgently needed to ensure affirming care.
Implications For The Profession And/Or Patient Care:
Acute and intensive care providers should promote inclusive family engagement by using patient-preferred terminology, recognising chosen families, and advocating for inclusive policies and staff training.
Reporting Method:
This scoping review adhered to PRISMA-ScR guidelines.
Patient Or Public Contribution:
No Patient or Public Contribution.
Trial Registration:
Registered with the Open Science Framework: 10.17605/OSF.IO/FSU8D (23/02/2025).
Related Concept Videos
01:29Documentation in Long-Term and Home Healthcare Setting
Long-Term Care Facilities
01:25Continuing Care
01:27Ethical Issues
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
01:30Specialized Care Centers and Settings-I
Daycare centers
They provide several functions. Some facilities care for healthy newborns and children whose parents work, while others are medically focused and care for...
01:30Specialized Care Centers and Settings-II
Rural health centers are specialized care facilities in remote locations with very few medical personnel. The primary care providers who run the centers are mostly Registered Nurse Practitioners. Here, emergency treatment is provided to critically ill or injured patients before they are transferred to the closest hospital. Fortunately, due to advancement in technology, many rural healthcare facilities and professionals have easy access to diagnostic and treatment...
01:13Patient-centered Care