Caring for the Transgender Patient

摘要

Purpose To analyze current literature that discusses caring for transgender patients, to identify gaps, and suggest future research specific to the medical imaging and radiation therapy profession. Methods Multiple electronic databases were searched to locate scholarly sources that discussed caring for transgender patients. Twenty-two articles, a reference textbook, and a document published by The Joint Commission were included in this literature analysis. Results The literature identified 3 common themes regarding caring for transgender patients: barriers to quality care, education considerations, and imaging considerations. Discussion A lack of awareness among health care providers and communication issues can compromise the care transgender patients receive. Opportunities to integrate transgender-related content into medical education and training programs can improve awareness and offer techniques to enhance communication. Inquiring about pregnancy status, calculating the glomerular filtration rate, and recommending screening guidelines for mammography and other imaging modalities present unique challenges for radiology departments caring for transgender patients. Greater awareness of the transgender population is needed among medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals so quality care is not compromised. Conclusion Further research concerning transgender patient care specific to the medical imaging and radiation therapy profession is needed.