Need for more training
Hospitalists will increasingly find themselves caring for transgender patients, as more people openly claim a gender identity outside the traditional gender categories. A recent study in the United Kingdom found that 20%-25% of people under 25 did not identify as heterosexual, or considered themselves as having a personal gender identity that did not correspond with the sex assigned at birth, Dr. Ng said.
“I don’t think this is something that is a trend, I don’t think it’s a fad,” Dr. Ng said. “I don’t think it’s going to go away.”
The amount of resources available for training clinicians in caring for transgender patients is expanding, he said, and both trainees and veteran clinicians can find educational programs tailored to their needs, although they might have to seek them out. Nonetheless, Dr. Ng thinks hospitalists would be wise to pursue such training.
Unfortunately, most medical schools do not as yet offer targeted training in transgender care, or even LGBT care more broadly, said Vin Tangpricha, MD, PhD, president elect of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).