Annals of family medicine
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Annals of family medicine · Jan 2025
Interviews to Assess a Peer Health Navigator Service for People Who Are Transgender or Gender Diverse.
People who are transgender or gender diverse (PTGD) often experience difficulties navigating the health care system due to a variety of factors such as lack of knowledgeable and/or culturally competent clinicians, discrimination, and structural and/or socioeconomic barriers. We sought to determine whether a peer health navigator service in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan helped connect transgender and gender-diverse clients and health care practitioners (HCPs) to resources, and how this service changed their health care experiences. ⋯ Clients and HCPs alike emphasized that the navigator's lived experience was invaluable and allowed them to empathize with PTGD and provide support. Furthermore, the navigators acted as a direct connection to health care services, which helped improve access for clients. Our findings underscore the need for navigator positions to become permanent within the provincial health system to improve the health care experiences of PTGD in Saskatchewan.
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There is a hum and drum to the clinical day, sounds and rhythms that pervade physician and patient's soundscape. We hear but we do not listen. ⋯ Masked in these sounds are tacit skills and auditory expertise that speak louder than words. In this essay, as 2 family doctors, we reflect on the sounds of a single day in the clinic.