Writer’s choice
Example of someone’s opposition: Not in Favor of publicly disclosing the hospital’s policy.
In the healthcare industry and organizations, the trust that the client has for their provider is very important in all its facets. Trust constitute the respect of each other vis-à-vis the client and their provider. Patient privacy helps solidifies this bond, knowing that every information that is shared with the provider will not be shared with a third party without the consent of the patient, and in this case releasing that information places the lives of the LGBTQIAP+ community in danger of harm and even death. As healthcare providers and clinicians we are called to serve out patients despite what they look like, what language they speak, and what their sexual orientation is. I believe that publicly declaring the policy will cause the LGBTQIAP+ community to feel ostracized and placed on the spotlight meanwhile these policies should be a routine part of the hospital’s culture. Exposing these policies might also affect the hospital’s financially because religious affiliations that drastically opposed to these views might protest and lead their followers to stop getting care at the hospital. It is understandable that being cognizant of the history of healthcare in the United States, where certain minority groups were discriminated upon when seeking care, sensitivity training and policies that seek to provide social and emotional education for certain underrepresented groups such as the LGBTQIAP+ community should be implemented within the hospital system. This allows for healthcare staff to better understand these underserved communities and prepare them to provide the best quality of care to every patient without any distinction.
Person-centered cultural competence and sensitivity amongst service providers are necessary in order for members of the LGBT community to live a better quality of life void of constant harassments, as members of the aging community (Smith et al., 2021). Further research has shown that as members of the LGBTQIAP+ community age and have more healthcare needs, they become fearful of apathy, discrimination, and abuse by healthcare providers and other residents, so it is very important for these awareness to be highlighted in order to prevent these outcomes from happening (Smith et al., 2021). Keeping this policy inhouse without making it public especially in a very conservative state, might just go along way in preserving peace and harmony and help in bridging the care gap within these communities.
References
Smith, S. D., Rowan, N. L., Arms, T. E., Hohn, K. L., & Galbraith, C. S. (2021). An interdisciplinary approach to enhancing health knowledge and cultural awareness with LGBT older adults. Educational Gerontology, 47(2), 79–85. https://doi.org/10.1080/03601277.2021.1876584
