Describing the Nature and Correlates of Health Service Providers’ Competency Working With Sexual and Gender Minority Patients: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Disparities in the health services delivered to sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals are widespread across health service disciplines. Many health service providers do not have the knowledge, comfort, or skills necessary to provide health services to SGM individuals. 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 SGM individuals. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 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 SGM individuals. There were 31 studies included in the review. 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. Health service education needs to emphasize competency working with SGM individuals. Of particular importance is developing skill sets, as many providers reported that they did not have the skills necessary to provide culturally competent health services to SGM individuals.

Keywords

sexual orientation transgender BDSM health service provider competency systematic review

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