Ensuring LGBT Patients Get The Care They Need

In honor of Pride Month, we want our LGBT patients to learn about the steps SolutionHealth takes to ensure they get the care they need

On November 7, Southern New Hampshire Health will go live with Epic, an electronic medical record system, and Elliot Health System will undergo a major upgrade to their Epic system.

One of the key features of Epic is the sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) Smartform. The optional questions allow providers to know the proper pronouns for each patient. They also help providers better treat the needs of transgender or non-binary patients. It also makes medicine safer for our LGBT patients.

“This tool helps decrease the risk of patients being misgendered or referred to by the wrong name. It also creates a safer medical experience as providers have a place to document multiple factors that could change clinical decisions,” Eric Senneville, PA-C, at Elliot Health System explains.

Patients can edit preferred name, gender identity, and sexual orientation through My E-Chart. It’s as simple as logging in, going to the profile tab, and clicking on the edit details about me tab.

Your preferred name will become bold in the chart that is used by your health care providers and support staff when interacting with you face-to-face, by telephone, or by mail. Preferred gender will also be listed in the chart and will display as a patient’s gender marker.

If admitted to the hospital, as with any other interaction, your preferred name will be used. When legally required, providers may need to confirm legal name in a respectful way, such as when gaining surgical consents. Hospital wrist bands will now display both preferred name and legal name. Gender markers have altogether been removed from wrist bands and other documentation that is not medically necessary.

Letters, after visit summaries, and lab results will have a patient’s preferred name on them. Billing information, lab specimens, and consent forms require legal names to be on them. We are sensitive to preferred names and pronouns, but by law legal name and legal sex will be required.

If receiving medication and legal sex/gender identity do not match the sex assigned at birth, both male and female medication warnings will also be used.

If an LGBT person is looking for a primary care physician who is knowledgeable about LGBT issues, Eric Senneville, PA-C, works as our LGBT primary care provider supervised by Dr. Gus Emmick. They are located at 20 Chambers Drive, Hooksett, NH.

To book an appointment or for more information, please call 603-641-5386 and ask to be seen as an LGBT patient.