Inequality in healthcare
It has recently been proven that transgender individuals suffer from more health conditions than other members of the public. This was uncovered in a survey by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), where it was reported that three in five transgender people suffer from poor levels of mental health. This scored twenty-three percentage points higher than the mental health issues of cisgender individuals who took the survey. Fifty-four percent of transgender people also reported that their physical health was a cause for concern, which scored eighteen percent higher than cisgender individuals who took the survey. It has been claimed by experts of the healthcare industry that a development in health technology can improve the general healthcare processes for these individuals. This is due to the disparity in healthcare experience that currently exists. The inequality within the healthcare industry has not gone unnoticed by the government. On June 15, 2022, President Joe Biden introduced an executive order to improve the level of equality in the United States between members of the LGBTQI+ community and all other citizens of the country. Within the executive order, the intentions of Biden’s office were outlined that will make society more inclusive and equal for LGBTQI+ people. The following are various sections of the executive order released by President Biden:
- Reduction of legislative attacks on underage individuals that belong to the LGBTQI+ community through the implementation of new policies
- Reduction of youth members of the LGBTQI+ community being subjected to conversion therapy, increasing the awareness of the risks and dangers that accompany it.
- A greater prioritization towards counseling for youth members of the LGBTQI+ community.
New developments in health IT for LGBTQI+
An organization known as Athenahelp, that offers a healthcare network to over one hundred thousand healthcare providers, has recently taken action to increase the level of healthcare equality. The entity has updated their features to allow patient pronouns, used name and gender preferences to be displayed on their Electronic Health Record (EHR). In addition to this Epocrates, a company owned by Athenahelp, implemented a guide for clinicians equipped with updated transgender care information.
