PC3099: Supporting the LGBTQIA+ Community by Improving Visibility of Allies in a Pediatric Residency Program

Background: In comparison with heterosexual adolescents, LGBTQIA+ adolescents have higher rates of depression, suicidal ideation, substance abuse, and risky sexual behaviors. Suicide rates of LGBTQIA+ adolescents can be decreased through allyship, affirming spaces for identity exploration, and the presence of an accepting adult. Early identification of potential distress, supported exploration of identity, and affirmation foster healthy growth and development in a particularly vulnerable population. With the support of our faculty and program leaders, our resident-led DEI Committee LGBTQIA+ allies aimed to create a safe environment for our LGBTQIA+ patients and families and to improve patients’ overall experience at our clinical site.

Methods: Our program’s resident-led DEI Committee’s LGBTQIA+ focused division sent an IRB approved anonymous survey to our 70 pediatric residents. The survey asked for our residents’ perception of the visibility of allyship for LGBTQIA+ patients, if our program needed to improve visibility, and if they would be interested in wearing items showing support while at program clinical sites. Lectures on how to provide affirming care for LGBTQIA+ youth and their families were planned as part of resident educational conference. Categorical results are shown as counts and frequencies.

Results: Of the 70 residents, 29 (41.4%) completed the survey. Regarding our residents’ perception of support visibility, 0 (0.0%) gave a rating of excellent, 5 (17.2%) good, 12 (41.4%) fair, and 12 (41.4%) poor. 26 (89.7%) of the residents felt that our program needed to improve visibility with 13 (50.0%) interested in wearing items of support. 89 rainbow badge buddies with pronouns were selected as the wearable item and given to the 13 residents interested (14.6% of the badges). After the educational intervention, 22 more attending physicians and residents acquired badge buddies with their preferred pronouns, for a total of 35 (39.3%), a 169% increase.

Conclusion: Resident LGBTQIA+ allies can make meaningful change to increase a program’s ability to be more welcoming to LGBTQIA+ patients and families. Our resident committee allies took action to improve visibility based on resident feedback. We introduced preferred pronoun badge buddies as a first step toward improving patients' experience at our clinical site. The badge buddy, which identifies to patients and families that a person is an ally, was selected due to its visual location in the vicinity of the attending physician or resident wearer’s identification badge. The initial showcasing of the preferred pronoun badge buddies and the introduction of educational lectures and interventions has increased the number of visible allies in our program and has led to increased project engagement at the attending and resident level. The use of preferred pronoun badge buddies has been a vital first step in improving resident education on providing affirming care for our LGBTQIA+ community.