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Project Origin: LGBTQ+ Health Equity Symposium

This project stems from the 2022 LGBTQ+ Health Equity Symposium, which brought together 103 academic and community experts. They discussed and set priorities to advance LGBTQ+ health equity. Key priorities identified include:

• Provider Training: Comprehensive training for all staff, not just direct care providers.
• Standards of Care: Improved standards to meet LGBTQ+ community needs.
• Inclusive Research: Collecting data to better represent LGBTQ populations.

Creation of the LGBTQ+ Health Equity Research Network

The symposium led to the formation of the LGBTQ+ Health Equity Research Network (HERN) within the Center for Health Equity and Community Knowledge in Urban Populations (CHECK-UP Center), led by Dr. Hayley Thompson, a health psychologist with Wayne State University and the Karmanos Cancer Center. The Health Equity Research Network is comprised of academic researchers, community-based researchers, community organizers, and leaders representing the Detroit Department of Public Health, Corktown Health, Transcend the Binary, and MATEC Michigan. The group’s main focus is enhancing healthcare experiences for the LGBTQ+ community, particularly through effective training for providers and clinic staff.

Community-Based Research

This focus group initiative is grounded in Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) principles, leveraging community strengths to address health disparities. As part of the groundwork, 47 LGBTQ+ individuals participated in 7 focus groups to share their experiences with healthcare and identify key training content areas for providers.

This collaborative approach aims to make healthcare more sensitive and responsive to the needs of LGBTQ+ patients. 

Significance

Findings from these focus groups will inform the improvements of healthcare training for providers and clinic staff through a National Institutes of Health grant proposal. The community’s voices and perspectives will guide enhancements in the training materials of our prospective randomized controlled trial intervention of federally qualified health centers in Michigan. 

Methods

Participants were recruited online and from LGBTQ+ -focused community organizations in Michigan. Qualitative thematic analysis, informed by the Framework Method, is being used to analyze data from the transcripts. Groups, lasting 1.5 to 2 hours, were conducted via Zoom and included diverse LGBTQ+ community members, including lesbians and bisexual women, gay and bisexual men, transgender men, transgender women, non-binary and gender non-conforming individuals.  

We are currently immersed in the intricate process of analyzing the rich data collected from our focus groups. This phase is essential for extracting meaningful insights that will shape our future initiatives and enhance our understanding of the diverse experiences within the LGBTQ+ community as we navigate healthcare systems.

Research Team 

Wayne State University Researchers

Sarah Kiperman

Rick Zimmerman

Carrie Leach

J. Lloyd Allen

Angulique Outlaw

Patricia Wren

Community Partners

Brayden A. Misiolek, Transcend the Binary

Patrick Yankee, Corktown Health

Courtney Mucklin, MATEC Michigan

Keith Hughes, City of Detroit Department of Public Health

Additional Researchers

Joshua Grimm, Louisianna State University

Brayden A. Misiolek, Transcend the Binary

Joseph Schwartz, Northeastern University

Marvin Solberg, University of Michigan

CHECK-UP Staff (Wayne State University)

Alexandra Sass

Zachary Cichon

Study Sponsors

Wayne State University

Karmanos Cancer Institute

Center for Health Equity and Community Knowledge in Urban Populations

City of Detroit Department of Public Health

MATEC Michigan

Corktown Health