Comfort Providing Gender-Affirming Care and Preferences for Consultative Support Among Rural Pediatric Primary Care Providers

Abstract

Objective:

To examine how specialist-to-pediatric primary care provider (PPCP) consultative support may impact PPCP comfort in providing gender-affirming care.

Methods:

PPCPs in West Virginia completed an electronic survey. T-tests compared comfort providing gender-affirming care and rank-sum tests compared the practicality of four consultative support modalities by time in practice and specialty.

Results:

Of 51 participants, 47.1% had been in practice for <10 years and 59.6% were trained in pediatrics. PPCPs with <10 years in practice and those trained in pediatrics were more comfortable providing gender-affirming care than those in practice >10 years and those trained in family medicine. PPCPs felt that telemedicine was more practical than tele-education, although they reported all consultative support modalities would increase comfort providing this care.

Conclusions:

Access to consultative support can increase PPCP comfort providing gender-affirming care, although certain modalities may be more effective for PPCPs with varying levels of experience and specialty training.