Understanding clinicians’ strategies for providing gender-sensitive care: an exploration among pediatric rehabilitation health care providers

Abstract

Purpose

Although there is an increasing awareness of the critical role of gender within pediatric rehabilitation, little is known about the strategies that clinicians use to provide such care. The purpose of this study was to explore clinicians’ strategies for providing gender-sensitive care within a pediatric rehabilitation hospital.

Methods

We used a qualitative needs assessment design and a convenience sampling strategy to recruit clinicians from a pediatric rehabilitation hospital. We conducted interviews with 23 pediatric rehabilitation health care providers from various disciplines. We applied a thematic analysis to the interview transcripts.

Results

Our analysis revealed the following themes regarding clinicians’ strategies in providing gender-sensitive care: (1) awareness of gender biases and not making assumptions; (2) recognizing gender-based vulnerabilities; (3) respecting patient values, preferences and needs; and (4) advocacy.

Conclusion

Health care providers working within pediatric rehabilitation have several strategies for providing a gender-sensitive care approach to clients.

IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION

• Clinicians should seek training (i.e., appropriate terminology, creating inclusive spaces) in how to recognize gender-based health vulnerabilities, especially among patients who identify as non-binary or transgender.

• Clinicians should make an effort to try to be aware of their own biases and not make gender-based assumptions.

• Advocacy, respecting patient values, preferences and needs are important aspects of providing gender-sensitive care.

Keywords:

• Gender
• health care providers
• pediatric
• qualitative

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank the participants involved in the study and the TRAIL lab staff for their support in this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Funding for this study was provided, in part, by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (CIHR-SSHRC) Partnership grant and the Kimel Family Fund through the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.