Reducing health inequalities faced by LGBTI people: new training kit and research insights for health professionals
A training package for Health Professionals on how to reduce health Inequalities for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) people has been launched by the Health4LGBTI initiative. It is based on new research into the types and causes of health inequalities experienced by LGBTI people, as well as the barriers faced by health professionals and LGBTI people when providing and accessing services. The results of the research, which included a state-of-the-art review study and 12 focus groups in six EU Member States, are detailed in two reports available on the Health4LGBTI webpage.
The training package was formally launched today, 2nd February 2018, at the Health4LGBTI project’s final conference where policy makers and members of the LGBTI community discussed the potential future implementation of this course across the EU.
‘Reducing health inequalities experienced by LGBTI people: what is your role as a health professional?’ comprises a trainers’ manual, a take-home reference manual for participations, course evaluation tools, and slide sets. Some of the course materials have been translated into Bulgarian, Dutch, Italian, Lithuanian, and Polish and are available on request. It will soon be available for download.
Speaking at the launch of the training package, John F. Ryan, Director of Public Health, Country Knowledge and Crisis Management (DG SANTE, European Commission) noted:
‘It is very timely that the “Health4LGBTI”-pilot project has established this manual for the training of health professionals on the health needs of LGBTI. It will help to improve the awareness and knowledge of health professionals and make health services more accessible for LGBTI-people.’
The practical training package has been produced for health and care professionals such as medical doctors, nurses, psychologists, and social workers as well as administrative staff working in the health sector who wish to increase their knowledge about LGBTI health needs and build LGBTI-inclusive skills. The course can be delivered at any stage of education and working life.
Lasting 8-10 hours, the course can be delivered in two or more sessions by two facilitators – a health professional and a representative of the LGBTI community, both with experience of delivering training. The course’s four modules can be delivered as a complete package or individually, and can be tailored by combining different elements of the modules.
Both the training package and the underpinning research are the results of the two-year Health4LGBTI project, funded by the European Parliament and conducted by Verona University Hospital (IT), ILGA- Europe (EU), EuroHealthNet (EU), University of Brighton (UK), and the National Institute of Public Health-National Institute of Hygiene (PL). The consortium was appointed by the European Commission following a call for tenders (SANTE/2015/C4/035).
Health4LGBTI
Health4LGBTI is an EU funded pilot project aimed at reducing health inequalities experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and intersex (LGBTI) people. Read more about the project, EuroHealthNet’s role in it, and the resources produced here.