Describing the Nature and Correlates of Health Service Providers' Competency Working with Sexual and Gender Identity Minorities: A Systematic Review

Describing the Nature and Correlates of Health Service Providers' Competency Working with Sexual and Gender Identity Minorities: A Systematic Review

College

College of Health Sciences

Program

Ph.D. Health Services Research

Publication Date

3-28-2019

Abstract

Disparities in the health services delivered to sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) minorities are multiple and widespread across health service disciplines. Many health service providers do not have the knowledge, comfort, confidence, or skills necessary to provide health services to SOGI minorities. The objective of the current systematic review was to review the correlates of competency (defined as knowledge, attitude, and skill) that health service providers possess for working with SOGI minorities. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was utilized to guide search and reporting strategies. PsycInfo/PsycArticles, PubMed/Medline, and Google Scholar databases were searched to find studies that addressed health service providers’ competency working with SOGI minorities. There were 31 studies included in the review. Based on a prior quality assessment tool, the quality of each article was assessed using an assessment tool created by the author. Approximately half of the studies utilized the full definition of competency (knowledge, attitude, and skill). The most common competency assessed was knowledge and the least common was skill. The majority of the studies addressed health service providers in the social sciences (mainly counseling students and counseling professionals). The studies mainly targeted researching competencies of health service providers working with sexual orientation minorities. Competency concerning BDSM practitioners was understudied. Health service education needs to emphasize competency working with SOGI minorities. Of particular importance is developing skillsets, as many providers reported that they did not have the skills necessary to provide culturally competent health services to SOGI minorities.

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Describing the Nature and Correlates of Health Service Providers' Competency Working with Sexual and Gender Identity Minorities: A Systematic Review


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