SCCM Resource Library-Improving the Critical Care Experience of LGBTQIA+ Patients and Families

Pdf Summary

The Winter 2022 issue of "CriticalConnections" discusses the challenges LGBTQIA patients face in critical care settings, highlighting a heightened sense of vulnerability and fear of discrimination, especially in areas lacking strong nondiscrimination laws. The article offers strategies for intensivists and critical care specialists to improve the care experience for LGBTQIA patients and families, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity and respect for individual identities.<br /><br />To address these concerns, healthcare professionals are encouraged to:<br />1. Educate themselves on the nuances of sex, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation.<br />2. Ask specific, inclusive questions during patient intake to understand patients' preferred names, pronouns, and family circumstances.<br />3. Advocate for changes in hospital forms and electronic health records to include inclusive information.<br />4. Discuss advance directives with patients in a sensitive way, ensuring their partners or chosen family can make decisions on their behalf if needed.<br />5. Provide resources that are inclusive of LGBTQIA individuals, using appropriate language and images.<br />6. Ensure hospital nondiscrimination statements explicitly mention “gender identity” and “sexual orientation.”<br />7. Practice using gender-neutral pronouns with patients who prefer them.<br /><br />Kimberly D. Acquaviva, PhD, underscores that providing LGBTQIA-inclusive care is a continuous effort. Participation in the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI) can help hospitals evaluate and improve their care for LGBTQIA patients. By implementing these strategies, healthcare providers can convey respect and inclusivity, ultimately fostering a safer, more supportive environment for LGBTQIA patients and their families.

Asset Subtitle

Professional Development and Education, 2022, 00:10:50

Asset Caption

This article was first published in the Winter 2022 issue of Critical Connections. When critically ill or injured patients need the services of a critical care team, they are at their most vulnerable. Their life is in the hands of a group of healthcare professionals they have probably never met before. They may not be able to ask questions, express their wishes, or register a complaint about the way they are being treated. Even if they can speak, they may feel voiceless. Here are six simple strategies that trained intensivists and critical care specialists can use to improve the critical care experience of the LGBTQIA+ patients and families they serve. Author: Kimberly D. Acquaviva, PhD, MSW, CSE, FNAP Critical Connections, the critical care industry's only newsmagazine, provides information on cutting-edge topics in critical care useful to the entire multiprofessional team.

Meta Tag

Content Type Article

Knowledge Area Professional Development and Education

Knowledge Level Foundational

Knowledge Level Intermediate

Knowledge Level Advanced

Membership Level Select

Membership Level Professional

Membership Level Associate

Tag Healthcare Delivery

Tag Communication

Year 2022

Keywords

LGBTQIA

critical care

nondiscrimination

inclusivity

gender identity

healthcare equality

patient care

intensivists

advance directives

Kimberly Acquaviva

	Society of Critical Care Medicine 500 Midway Drive Mount Prospect, IL 60056 USA Phone: +1 847 827-6888 Fax: +1 847 439-7226 Email: support@sccm.org	Contact Us About SCCM Newsroom Advertising & Sponsorship DONATE	MySCCM LearnICU Patients & Families Surviving Sepsis Campaign Critical Care Societies Collaborative	GET OUR NEWSLETTER
© Society of Critical Care Medicine. All rights reserved. \| Privacy Statement \| Terms & Conditions The Society of Critical Care Medicine, SCCM, and Critical Care Congress are registered trademarks of the Society of Critical Care Medicine.