Implementing an Innovative Transgender and Gender Diverse Health Curriculum for Physician Assistant (PA) Students

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Disparities
• Gender-Affirming Care

Background:

• Significant knowledge gaps in transgender and gender diverse (TGD) healthcare exist among clinicians, leading to disparities.
• Physician assistant (PA) programs often lack comprehensive TGD health content, focusing primarily on interviewing skills.
• Barriers to TGD health education include limited faculty expertise and time constraints.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a video-based curriculum aimed at enhancing PA students' medical knowledge and confidence in managing gender-affirming hormone therapy.
• To address the need for improved TGD healthcare education within PA programs.

Main Methods:

• A 90-minute, innovative curriculum was designed for PA students, utilizing a video case study of a transgender woman seeking gender-affirming therapy.
• Learning strategies incorporated didactics, active learning, and video-based instruction.
• Pre- and post-intervention assessments using t-tests measured changes in medical knowledge and attitudes towards TGD individuals.

Main Results:

• Following the curriculum, PA students reported a significant increase in adequate medical knowledge regarding TGD care (P < .0001) and confidence in providing this care (P < .01).
• Participants demonstrated more positive attitudes towards TGD individuals.
• Post-test scores on medical knowledge questions showed improvement compared to pre-test scores (P > .05).

Conclusions:

• The video-based workshop effectively equipped PA students with skills in prescribing and monitoring gender-affirming hormone therapy and basic counseling.
• The curriculum significantly improved students' self-perceived confidence, medical knowledge, and attitudes concerning TGD care.
• This adaptable workshop model enhances trainee preparedness for engaging in TGD healthcare and can be implemented across various healthcare training programs.