Support for Pediatricians in Providing Gender-Affirming Care

A new study in the peer-reviewed journal Telemedicine and e-Health found that access to consultative support can increase pediatric primary care provider comfort providing gender-affirming care. Click here to read the article now.

The literature suggests that access to gender-affirming medical care is associated with improved medical outcomes among adolescents who identify as gender diverse or endorse a gender identity that differs from their sex assigned at birth. An increasing number of gender diverse youth seek guidance and support from their pediatric primary care providers (PPCPs), who often lack adequate training in this area.

The PPCPs in this study agreed, on average, that having access to consultative support would help them feel more comfortable providing gender-affirming care.

"PPCPs with fewer than 10 years of experience and those trained in pediatrics were more likely to agree that access to consultative support would make them more comfortable providing each aspect of gender-affirming care compared to those with more than 10 years of experience and those trained in family medicine, respectively," reported Kacie Kidd, MD, MS, from West Virginia University School of Medicine, and coauthors.

"Access to healthcare and healthcare resources is of vital importance to all of us regardless of our health condition or situation. This research builds on the foundation of a paradigm shift in care and education," says Charles R. Doarn, MBA, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal and Emeritus Professor in the Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, and Director of the Space Research Institute for Discovery and Exploration at the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio.

About the Journal

Telemedicine and e-Health is an Official Research Journal of the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) and an Official Journal of Digital Health Canada and the International Society for Telemedicine & e-Health. The Journal is led by Editor-in-Chief Charles R. Doarn, MBA, FATA, and is the leading peer-reviewed journal for cutting-edge telemedicine applications for achieving optimal patient care and outcomes. Complete tables of contents and a sample issue are available on the Telemedicine and e-Health website.

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. is a global media company dedicated to creating, curating, and delivering impactful peer-reviewed research and authoritative content services to advance the fields of biotechnology and the life sciences, specialized clinical medicine, and public health and policy. For complete information, please visit the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. website.