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Poster Presentations
PS01 – POSTER VIEWING SESSION – MONDAY
Monday, July 15, 2019 5:45 PM – 7:00 PM
P360 Improving health care worker understanding of LGBTQ+ patients through storytelling and empathy
Free
  1. Amanda Long1,
  2. Errol Fields1,
  3. Aruna Chandran1,
  4. Kehinde Bademosi2,
  5. Simone Sawyer1,
  6. Jeannie Murray1,
  7. Christina Schumacher3,
  8. Adena Greenbaum2,
  9. Jacky Jennings1
  1. 1Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Center for Child and Community Health Research (CCHR), Baltimore, USA
  2. 2Baltimore City Health Department, Baltimore, USA
  3. 3Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA

Abstract

Background Significant HIV disparities affect LGBTQ+ populations and medical mistrust from experiences of healthcare worker (HCW) stigma is a key barrier to HIV prevention and care. This stigma results from many factors, including lack of HCW understanding of LGBTQ+ experiences. The goal was to determine if storytelling nights, events where LGBTQ+ persons share in-depth, personal accounts of their experiences, increased HCW understanding of LGBTQ+ patients.

Methods The study design was a retrospective post-test design with surveys conducted after each of 5 storytelling nights and qualitative data collected via post-it notes during each event. All city residents were encouraged to attend, with marketing focused on the LGBTQ+ community and HCWs that interact with LGBTQ+ patients. The survey measured changes in HCW understanding of LGBTQ+ patients as a result of the event. Post-it notes measured HCW reactions to LGBTQ+ patient experiences shared through the storytelling and were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results 416 individuals attended the storytelling nights (mean 83, SD 12.7 per event) and 56 HCWs completed a survey. 49 (87.5%) strongly agreed or agreed that they could better understand their patients’ feelings and concerns after the event. 449 post-its (mean 90, SD 23.1 per event) were collected and 43 (9.6%) post-its were directly related to HCW reflections on LGBTQ+ patients. Three themes emerged from post-it responses: learning new approaches for working with LGBTQ+ patients through the stories; storytelling nights meeting an educational need for HCWs working with LGBTQ+ patients; and the realization that HCWs should take more time to learn about each patient’s needs.

Conclusion Events that encourage sharing of experiences, such as storytelling nights, may serve as an effective tool for increasing understanding by HCWs of LGBTQ+ patients by the sharing of unique experiences of LGBTQ+ persons. This may ultimately help to decrease medical distrust of LGBTQ+ populations and improve sexual health and well-being.

Disclosure No significant relationships.

  • stigma

https://doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2019-sti.463

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