LGBT-competent doctors few and far between

U.S. academic faculty practices lack lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)-competent physicians, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Public Health. The study also showed an interest among academic faculty practices in developing policies, programs and procedures to improve access to LGBT-competent physicians and training. Researchers found fewer than 10 percent of respondents had procedures or policies in place to identify LGBT-competent physicians, and while 16 percent of respondents reported having comprehensive LGBT-competency training, 52 percent said they had no such training processes in place. However, 80 percent of participants expressed interest in actively addressing these issues, according to the study. Study abstract