Evaluating a lesbian and gay health care curriculum.

Background: Many physicians are not prepared to deal with the health care concerns of their lesbian and gay patients.

Purpose: To examine the impact of a seminar on the self-reported level of preparedness and comfort in dealing with lesbian and gay patients among general internal medicine residents.

Methods: General internal medicine residents at Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University participated in the 3-hr seminar. Residents voluntarily filled out preseminar and postseminar surveys measuring their self-reported level of preparedness and comfort in dealing with the health care, psychosocial, and sexual issues of lesbians and gay men.

Results: There was improvement in residents' self-reported level of preparation and comfort after the seminar.

Conclusions: The results of the seminar are promising. Future evaluations of educational programs are needed to address whether improvements in preparation and comfort result in lasting changes and whether an educational intervention can improve the patient-physician interaction.