Shared Care Project: Gender-Affirming Care
Project Completion Date: September 30, 2025
Project Contact: April Bonise
In the Spring of 2023, our gender-affirming care working group began an expression of interest project to identify gaps in the provision of gender-affirming care in our community. After conducting a thorough gap analysis and needs assessment, the project team launched a detailed survey for both providers and patients to validate these gaps.
This survey revealed that 46% of Family Physicians and Nurse Practitioners feel they have very little or no awareness of gender-affirming care, 74% have received no gender-affirming care training, and 55% do not routinely provide opportunities for patients to self-identify or disclose their gender identity.
One third of patient respondents had tried to access some form of gender-affirming medical care but could not, and although 67% stated they have an FP or NP, over half most often access their healthcare services at a walk-in clinic.
These patients expressed system navigation challenges as well as significant barriers related to stigma and safety. Both patients and providers expressed a need for improved education opportunities.
This project aims to address these issues through the provision of clinical learning opportunities for primary care providers and the creation of relevant system-navigation resources, thus intending to reduce stigma and improve collaboration and communication during the flow of patient care.
Planned project activities include a three-part education series for Family Physicians and Nurse Practitioners, as well as the creation of resources on a variety of topics, including a safe spaces guide, a language guide, videos for patients and their families and more.
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