A survey of oncology advanced practice providers' knowledge and attitudes towards sexual and gender minorities with cancer.
Megan E Sutter, Meghan L Bowman-Curci, Luisa F Duarte Arevalo and 3 others
PMID 32320511WHAT IT FOUND
Oncology providers felt comfortable treating LGBTQ patients but knew little about their specific health risks.
Many assumed patients were heterosexual. Exposure to knowledge questions lowered providers' confidence in their own understanding of these needs.
Key findings
01Most providers reported being comfortable treating LGBTQ patients, but only half felt confident in their knowledge of transgender health needs.
02Overall knowledge of LGBTQ-specific cancer risks was low, with no provider answering all knowledge items correctly.
03Providers' self-reported confidence in their knowledge significantly decreased after they answered questions about LGBTQ health disparities.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted at a single cancer center, so results may not apply to other geographic or community-based practices. The response rate was low (39%), and because the survey was anonymous, it was impossible to compare responders to non-responders. The measures used were not formally validated for reliability and validity. Social desirability bias may have led participants to underreport negative attitudes.
Declared interests
The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that comfort with LGBTQ patients equates to competence. The study shows high self-reported comfort but low actual knowledge of specific health risks like smoking prevalence and insurance barriers.