Exploring the Healthcare Experiences and Preferences of LGBT+ People: An Online Asynchronous Focus Group Study.
John P Gilmore, David J Field
PMID 40898958WHAT IT FOUND
LGBT+ patients described healthcare in Ireland as fragmented and often unsafe, citing misgendering, heteronormative assumptions, and a lack of competent providers.
They relied on word-of-mouth to find care, with rural patients feeling particularly excluded from services.
Key findings
01Participants reported frequent misgendering and heteronormative assumptions by providers, which eroded trust and discouraged seeking care.
02Finding LGBT+ competent providers was described as a 'lottery' reliant on informal networks, with no centralised directory available.
03Rural participants faced significant geographic barriers to accessing specialist or inclusive services, often forgoing care due to travel costs.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study relies on self-selection, which may skew results towards individuals with stronger views or more negative prior experiences. The sample was relatively small (43 active participants) and lacked structured intersectional analysis, limiting understanding of how race, disability, and socioeconomic status interact with LGBT+ identity in healthcare experiences. The asynchronous online format may have limited the depth of discussion compared to real-time engagement, and digital access barriers may have excluded older or more marginalised participants.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by University College Dublin.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the participants' call for specialist services as evidence that specialist clinics are more effective than general practice. The preference for specialists arose from a lack of competence in general services, not from a comparative trial of outcomes.