Patient Acceptance of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Questions on Intake Forms in Outpatient Clinics: A Pragmatic Randomized Multisite Trial. (9th March 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rullo, Jordan E.; Foxen, Jilian L.; Griffin, Joan M.; Geske, Jennifer R.; Gonzalez, Cesar A.; Faubion, Stephanie S.; van Ryn, Michelle
• Is Part Of: Health services research. Volume 53:Number 5(2018)
• Page Start: 3790
• Page End: 3808
• Publication Date: 2018-03-09
• Subjects: Ambulatory/outpatient care -- gender/sex differences in health and health care -- health promotion/prevention/screening -- patient assessment/satisfaction; Medical care -- Periodicals; Medical care -- Evaluation -- Periodicals; Hospital care -- Periodicals; Health services administration -- Periodicals; 362
• DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.12843
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0017-9124

Abstract

Abstract : Objectives: To (1) test whether patient attitudes toward intake forms at three Midwestern outpatient clinics are significantly more negative among those who are asked to complete SOGI questions versus those who are not; and (2) gain an in‐depth understanding of patient concerns about SOGI questions. Study Setting: Data were collected between 6/29/2015 and 2/29/2016 from new patients ( N = 491) who presented at three outpatient clinics in a large academic medical center. This study was originally a quality improvement project, and later, institutional review board approval was obtained for secondary data analysis. Study Design: Two‐stage mixed‐methods study. (1) Experimental: New patients at three sites were randomly assigned to complete either routine intake forms (control) or routine intake forms with SOGI questions (experimental); and (2) qualitative: interviews with patients who responded negatively to SOGI questions. Principal Findings: There were no significant differences in patient attitudes between experimental and control groups ( p > .05). Of those who received SOGI questions, only 3 percent reported being distressed, upset, or offended by the SOGI questions. Conclusions: Collection of SOGI data as a part of the routine clinical patient intake process is not distressing to 97 percent of patients who are heterosexual, cisgender, and older than 50 years.