The criteria on LGBTQ+ Patient Services and Support includes questions related to planning to serve LGBTQ+ populations, providing LGBTQ+ specific services, and communications about LGBTQ+ health topics and services.
Scored best practices include:
To receive credit, a facility must:
Upload a copy of the diversity plan or strategy that includes LGBTQ+ patients. This can be a standalone plan for LGBTQ+ health or it can be part of a larger disparities plan. At a minimum, the plan must list the strategies that will be employed to improve LGBTQ+ health and/or must recognize sexual and gender minorities as a population that experiences health disparities with a commitment to address those disparities.
More information:
In 2013, the Office of Minority Health (OMH) of the US Department of Health and Human Services released the new National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care (the National CLAS Standards), which are intended to advance health equity, improve quality and help eliminate healthcare disparities by providing a blueprint for individuals and health and healthcare organizations to implement culturally and linguistically appropriate services. The CLAS Standards are a nationally recognized and utilized tool for culturally competent healthcare.
The new CLAS standards fully incorporate the concerns of LGBTQ+ people into the framework of culturally and linguistically appropriate care and specifically include sexual orientation and gender identity in their broader definition of culture. OMH’s accompanying publication, “A Blueprint for Advancing and Sustaining CLAS Policy and Practice,” also shares examples of health disparities experienced by LGBTQ+ people and includes specific reference to LGBTQ+ health in many of the standards. One of the standards encourages healthcare organizations to conduct ongoing assessments of the organization's CLAS-related activities and integrate CLAS-related measures into continuous quality improvement activities.
Examples:
To receive credit, a facility must:
Describe the role of this committee and/or provide a web address that provides this description.
More information:
Read this article, Equality in Healthcare: The Formation and Ongoing Legacy of an LGBT Advisory Council which was originally published in the journal LGBT Health.
Examples:
To receive credit, a facility must:
Provide either a weblink or upload a document showing where LGBTQ+ patients will find your provider directory, listing of LGBTQ+ friendly providers or LGBTQ+ specific referral line information.
More information:
Directories may be a facility, health system or community specific listing. Clinics need to be listed on the hospital or health system website and the contact and process for receiving referrals must be publicly promoted. Organizations can create their own online referral system or directory to tag LGBTQ+-friendly providers at their facility or within their system or community.
Organizations can also provide information about their LGBTQ+ specialty clinics:
To receive credit, a facility must:
Provide a link to webpage(s) and/or upload brochures/flyers promoting HIV specific services.
More information:
Services offered must include one or more of the following:
Examples.
To receive credit, a facility must:
Provide a link to webpage(s) and/or upload of brochures/flyers promoting these services.
More information:
Services offered must include one or more of the following:
By “LGBTQ+ Focused,” we mean programs that are specifically directed to and tailored for the LGBTQ+ population—NOT just inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in existing programs.
Examples:
To receive credit, a facility must:
Provide a link to webpage(s) and/or upload of brochure/flyer promoting the LGBTQ+ specific clinic.
More information:
Alex Gonzalez, MD, MPH, medical director of Fenway Health explains that “Health care environments that are not affirmative or inclusive leads to bad experiences for patients, which in turn leads patients to withhold important information about themselves in future visits or, even worse, stop accessing health care altogether.” Creating an intentional space for LGBTQ+ healthcare offers a safer environment for the community to engage with medical facilities and providers.
Examples:
To receive credit, a facility must:
Provide a link to website where this externally-facing office/person is promoted or upload materials that demonstrate how this office/person is promoted.
Examples:
To receive credit, a facility must:
Provide a website link for a specific landing page focused on LGBTQ+ health issues.
More information:
Below are examples of free materials available to download that you can distribute at your organization:
Examples:
To receive credit, a facility must:
Provide a copy of these print materials. These materials must be specifically developed by the facility or system to reach out to LGBTQ+ patients.
Examples:
To receive credit, a facility must:
Provide a copy of slides or handouts from new hire training that show how these policies are covered. The materials should include definitions of sexual orientation and gender identity along with examples/scenarios of how the patient nondiscrimination and equal visitation policies should be implemented
Examples: