Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36744296›Full record

ArticleMedical education online2023

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) healthcare in Singapore: perspectives of non-governmental organisations and clinical year medical students.

Caitlin A O'Hara, Xiang Lin Foon, Jared Ck Ng, Chen Seong Wong, Francine Yc Wang, Clara Yr Tan, Yi Ting Cheah, Konstadina Griva, Joanne Sy Yoong, Rayner Kj Tan

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Medical education online, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
3.7field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Caitlin A O'HaraYong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.ORCID 0000-0002-6171-1020
Xiang Lin FoonYong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Jared Ck NgYong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.ORCID 0000-0002-1642-3652
Chen Seong WongNational Center for Infectious Diseases, National University of Singapore, Singapore.ORCID 0000-0003-3127-2853
Francine Yc WangYong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Clara Yr TanYong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Yi Ting CheahYong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Konstadina GrivaOffice of Research, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.ORCID 0000-0001-8173-5663
Joanne Sy YoongYong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.ORCID 0000-0002-0162-9885
Rayner Kj TanSaw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore.ORCID 0000-0002-9188-3368
National University of Singapore · SGNanyang Technological University · SG

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeInternational studies document that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) patients face significant health disparities. Studies exploring the attitudes, knowledge, preparedness and comfort levels of healthcare students towards LGBTQI+ health have been conducted in the United States, United Kingdom and Malaysia. This study aims to investigate stigma in healthcare for LGBTQI+ patients in Singapore, and possible upstream factors within medical education.

methodsThis mixed-methods study adopts a convergent parallel design. The Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework was referenced to devise in-depth interviews with representatives from 13 LGBTQI-affirming non-governmental organisations, analysed through thematic analysis. 320 clinical medical students were surveyed about attitudes, knowledge, comfort, preparedness, and perceived importance of/towards LGBTQI+ health, analysed via descriptive statistics and multivariate regression.

resultsPrevailing stigma in Singaporean society against LGBTQI+ individuals is exacerbated in healthcare settings. Doctors were cited as unfamiliar or uncomfortable with LGBTQI+ health, possibly from lack of training. Among medical students surveyed, the median composite attitudes, comfort and preparedness index was 3.30 (Interquartile Range (IQR) = 0.50), 3.17 (IQR = 0.83), 2.50 (IQR = 1.00) respectively. Only 12.19% of students answered all 11 true-false questions about LGBTQI+ health correctly.

conclusionMedical students in Singapore have scored sub-optimally in their knowledge and preparedness towards LGBTQI+ health, while interpersonal and structural stigma in healthcare towards LGBTQI+ people in Singapore negatively affects health and wellbeing. These findings are an impetus to improve medical training in this area. High scores among medical students in attitudes, comfort and perceived importance of LGBTQI+ topics demonstrate that there is space for LGBTQI+ health in the local medical education curriculum. Curricular interventions can prioritise content knowledge, communication skills and sensitivity.

Indexed as

Sexual and Gender MinoritiesStudents, MedicalTransgender PersonsDelivery of Health CareFemaleHealthcare DisparitiesHumansMaleSingaporeSocial DiscriminationSocial StigmaUnited Stateshealthcare discriminationhealthcare stigmaLGBTQ+ healthmedical educationmedical training

Identifiers

PMID36744296
PMCPMC9904294
OpenAlexW4319294203

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.