Date of Award/Publication

4-2017

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.S. in Advanced Practice Nursing

First Supervisor

Christine Nelson-Tuttle

Second Supervisor

Nancy Wilk

Abstract

Introduction: Members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) communities are a vulnerable population in accessing routine healthcare. Studies have indicated that LGBT individuals are at an increased risk for conditions regarding physical and mental health, as well as socioeconomic disparities; however, little is currently known regarding the leading causes of these discrepancies. This study aims to identify the leading causes that impede access to routine healthcare on behalf of the LGBT population.

Methodology: The Access Barriers to Care Index (ACBI) was sent to participants via the Internet over the course of three weeks. The survey assessed the level of significance of various factors that may impact access to healthcare services.

Results: The most common barriers to healthcare included inconvenient scheduling times, long wait times, the inability to leave work or school, or not having the financial resources to pay for healthcare services. There were no statistically significant differences in the responses given by homosexual participants in comparison to heterosexual participants.

Conclusions: Logistic and financial causes were the most influential barriers in accessing healthcare. Additional qualitative data among the LGBT community would be recommended in order to obtain more in depth information regarding barriers to healthcare services.

Included in

Nursing Commons

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