Addressing the healthcare needs of older Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender patients in medical school curricula: a call to action

ABSTRACT

Medical students matriculating in the coming years will be faced with treating an expansive increase in the population of older lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) patients. While these patients face healthcare concerns similar to their non-LGBT aging peers, the older LGBT community has distinct healthcare needs and faces well-documented healthcare disparities. In order to reduce these healthcare barriers, medical school curricula must prepare and educate future physicians to treat this population while providing high quality, culturally-competent care. This article addresses some of the unique healthcare needs of the aging LGBT population with an emphasis on social concerns and healthcare disparities. It provides additional curricular recommendations to aid in the progressive augmentation of medical school curricula.

Abbreviations: Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME); LGBT: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender

KEYWORDS:

• Aging
• LGBT
• curricula reform
• healthcare disparities
• medical school

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.