The vast majority of patients would be happy to be asked about their sexuality and how they identify by their doctor, a new study has found.
Many doctors fear asking such personal questions may offend their patients.
But researchers said failing to ask could mean gay, transgender and non-gender-conforming patients may not be getting the right treatment and advice.
The new study by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, suggested 97 percent of patients were comfortable about being asked, and encourage medics that conversation is key to improving healthcare for all groups.
It comes as the rate of transgender surgeries increases at a rapid rate in the US, but many studies show the psychological support for patients may be inadequate.
Surveys have found doctors fear sexuality and gender questions will offend patients, but Mayo Clinic researchers found 97 percent of patients would welcome such questions
Dr Joan Griffin, a health services researcher who co-authored the report, said: ‘Our results should help ease the concerns of providers who want to deliver the highest-quality care for their patients but may not ask sexual orientation or gender identity questions for fear of distressing or offending their patients.’
While government advice has been to ask such a question, until now there was little evidence patients would accept this approach.
Yet sexual and gender minorities are at an increased risk for a number of health threats, including higher rates of drinking and smoking, and psychological distress.
They are also less likely to seek medical care, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
But to reduce these health inequities doctors first need to identify them.
Previous research showed many health care providers assumed sexual orientation and gender identity questions would offend patients.
Dr Griffin added: ‘In previous studies, there was more concern from health care providers about using the questions, but nobody had asked patients about their thoughts.
‘Therefore, we were not sure what to expect from patients, but we were not surprised that patients were less concerned about the questions than the providers in other studies thought they would be.’
The study involved patients at three Mayo Clinic sites in Minnesota between June 2015 and February 2016.
Each of the sites were chosen for their diversity in patient populations.
One site was a women’s health clinic serving local, regional and national patients, another served regional and national patients over 65 and the third was in a rural community of less than 10,000 people.
Researchers gave 491 new patients routine intake forms, or intake forms with sexual orientation and gender identity questions.
These include what were their birth gender, how they identified now, and whether they were straight, gay or bisexual.
Both groups received feedback forms that inquired about the intake questions.
Responses between the two groups then were compared.
The questionnaire is to be rolled out at all it’s clinics and Dr Griffin said: ‘At Mayo Clinic, the needs of the patient come first.
‘These questions will help Mayo Clinic identify the unique, unmet needs of LGBTI patients and highlight that equitable care for all people is a top priority.’
But she cautioned: ‘These findings may generalise to relatively similar areas in the country, especially the Midwest, but there may be differences in other regions in the US or by cultural groups that we did not capture in our sample.’
The findings were published today in Health Services Research.