Online learning modules improve confidence in providing gender affirming care for youth

• Published in: BMC medical education 2024-12, Vol.24 (1), p.1498-10, Article 1498
• Main Authors: Hodax, Juanita K, Kahn, Nicole F, Crouch, Julia M, Sethness, Janis L, Bocek, Kevin M, Sumerwell, Catherine, Sequeira, Gina M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Access to Health Care; Adolescent; Adolescents; Adult; Audiences; Behavior; Behavioral Objectives; Caregivers; Children & youth; Confidence; Consent; Demographic aspects; Distance learning; Education; Education, Distance; Electronic Learning; Female; Gender affirming care; Gender identity; Gender Issues; Health care; Health Personnel - education; Health Services; Humans; Influence; Learning Modules; Likert scale; Likert Scales; Male; Medical Education; Medical Services; Mental health; Methods; Online education; Online learning; Parent Participation; Parent School Relationship; Participant Characteristics; Patients; Pediatrics; Predominantly White Institutions; Self report; Sex change; Study and teaching; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teenagers; Transgender Persons; Youth
• ISSN: 1472-6920; 1472-6920
• DOI: 10.1186/s12909-024-06517-5

Healthcare providers often lack training and education in caring for gender diverse youth. We aimed to explore changes in provider confidence and behaviors following the implementation of an online learning course focused on gender affirming care for youth. An asynchronous, online training consisting of 2 modules was made available in October 2021. Participants were asked to complete 3 surveys for each module they completed: a pre-survey, a post-survey, and a 3-month follow-up survey. Surveys included demographic data and an assessment of provider confidence and self-reported behaviors related to the provision of gender affirming care for adolescents that were in line with the objectives outlined in each module. Paired sample t-tests were used to compare participant confidence at all timepoints. Participants (n = 487) completed at least one survey from one module. There was notable diversity in provider types, including mental health providers (n = 86, 17.7%), community health workers (n = 71, 14.6%), and medical students or health professionals (n = 61, 12.5%). Participants were significantly more confident in all aspects of care provision when comparing pre-surveys and post-surveys (p