Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40089753›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2025

Capturing sexual orientation and gender identity information in electronic medical records to inform the person-centred care of sexual and gender minority people.

Simone Schmidt, Timothy Fazio, Aruska N D'Souza, Stephen Muhi, Kath Feely, Benita Butler, Adam Boulton

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Patient perspectives on sexual orientation and gender identity data collection in cancer care settings.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
    Article
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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

7 authors.

Simone SchmidtEMR Team, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia. simone.schmidt@unimelb.edu.au.
Timothy FazioEMR Team, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Aruska N D'SouzaDepartment of Allied Health, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Stephen MuhiDepartment of General Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Kath FeelyEMR Team, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Benita ButlerEMR Team, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Adam BoultonEMR Team, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe healthcare disparities of sexual and gender minority (SGM) people are globally recognised. Research from the United States has advocated for sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) information capture via the electronic medical record (EMR) to support the generation of knowledge regarding SGM people's healthcare needs and the appropriate care for this population. In November 2022, The Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH) enabled the SOGI capture EMR functionality. The purpose of this study is to understand how SOGI capture can inform the person-centred care of SGM people by way of interviews with SGM patients and RMH staff. It quantitatively describes RMH SOGI capture throughout the study period to provide additional insights.

methodsThis study uses an embedded mixed-methods design: qualitative data are primary and quantitative data are supplementary. SOGI capture uptake at RMH informed the recruitment of SGM patients (n = 11) and RMH staff (n = 13). Participants were engaged in in-depth semi-structured interviews that were then reflexively thematically analysed. SOGI capture throughout the study period (8th November 2022 to 23rd September 2024) was quantitatively described via frequency and percentage and then analysed in relation to the qualitative results to provide additional insights.

resultsInterviewed participants considered SOGI capture a significant step toward providing person-centred care for SGM people. However, participants shared problems in SGM healthcare and expressed that for SOGI capture to benefit SGM patients, staff must be aware of not only SOGI capture but also SGM healthcare issues. Other recommendations for SOGI capture included patient informed consent; patient preferences accurately captured; and mandatory SOGI questions to normalise this process. During the study period 272,672 patients were admitted to RMH, of which there were 2,174 (0.8%) SGM SOGI captures; 2,000 (0.7%) captured a gender identity that was not 'male' or 'female' and 1,113 captured a sexual orientation that was not 'straight' or 'not reported' (0.4%). These numbers demonstrate SGM patients' minority status and signal the need for more staff and patient awareness of SOGI capture and mandatory SOGI questions to increase the representation and knowledge of this population and ultimately improve its care provision. A diversity of identifiers for this population was captured (10 sexual orientation identifiers and 14 gender identity identifiers) which demonstrate the significance of recognising SGM patient preferences.

conclusionThis study presented an in-depth exploration of how SOGI capture can inform the person-centred care of SGM people if staff are aware of SGM healthcare issues, and if SOGI capture is done according to patient preference and consent and is normalised through mandatory questions. Insights and recommendations generated from this study can inform local and international policies and processes in the implementation of SOGI capture such that it can inform person-centred care for SGM people.

Indexed as

Electronic Health RecordsGender IdentityPatient-Centered CareSexual and Gender MinoritiesSexual BehaviorAdultFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchElectronic medical recordLGBTQA+Mixed methodsPerson-centred careReflexive thematic analysisSexual and gender minoritySexual orientation and gender identity

Identifiers

PMID40089753
PMCPMC11909864

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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.