By Sylvia Foley, AJN senior editor

Lawrence Johnson feeds his partner of 38 years, Alexendre Rheume, at a nursing care facility. Rheume suffered from Parkinson's dementia. The couple struggled to find a facility welcoming of them as a couple. Photo © Gen Silent documentary film / http://gensilent.com.

Lawrence Johnson feeds his partner of 38 years, Alexendre Rheume. Rheume suffered from Parkinson’s dementia. Photo © Gen Silent documentary film / http://gensilent.com.

It’s arguably easier these days to identify as “queer”—lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). Our society has come a long way since 1969, when the infamous Stonewall riots and other events heralded the gay rights movement. Many LGBT people can live more openly and fully as who they are. Yet this population—which constitutes an estimated 5% to 10% of the U.S. population—continues to receive often substandard health care. In this month’s CE feature, “Addressing Health Care Disparities in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Population: A Review of Best Practices,” Fidelindo Lim and colleagues explore these disparities and explain why it’s important for nurses in all practice settings to know how to address them. Here’s a quick overview.

The health care needs of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) have received significant attention from policymakers in the last several years. Recent reports from the Institute of Medicine, Healthy People 2020, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality have all highlighted the need for such long-overdue attention. The health care disparities that affect this population are closely tied to sexual and social stigma. Furthermore, LGBT people aren’t all alike; an understanding of the various subgroups and demographic factors is vital to providing patient-centered care. This article explores LGBT health issues and health care disparities, and offers recommendations for best practices based on current evidence and standards of care.

Lim and colleagues also consider issues specific to LGBT youth and older adults, and discuss the Joint Commission’s recommendations for health care leaders. And they provide

  • a practice guide to improving cultural competence.
  • a detailed list of Web-based resources, including videos.
  • evidence-based strategies for promoting inclusive patient- and family-centered care.

For more, read the article and listen to our podcast with the lead author; both are free. We invite you to share your experiences and insights with us below.