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Adding Section to LGBT Community Page
editI am proposing to edit the Wikipedia page entitled “LGBT Community.” Specifically, I will be adding a new section on “Health Care Needs and Provisions for Gays and Lesbians Veterans” in this page. The existing Wikipedia page does not discuss healthcare needs for the gay and lesbian military veterans. It misses the discussion that there are approximately one million gay and lesbian veterans in America (Sherman et al). With the repeal of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy, the number of gays and lesbians in the military will rise (Sherman et al). There will be an increase in veterans who seek medical care from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The current page does not discuss the veterans’ medical experiences with the Veteran Hospitals and their degree of satisfaction with the care that they are receiving (Sherman et al). As reported in the literature, many gay and lesbian veterans are not satisfied with their current healthcare services. Some of them feel ostracized. Many are not comfortable in disclosing their sexual orientation and identities to their healthcare providers (Sherman et al). However, it is important for all patients, including gay and lesbian veterans, to feel comfortable in communicating their social, psychological, and mental concerns to their health care providers to ensure that they are receiving adequate medical treatment (Sherman et al). Creating a more receptive and understanding environment will undoubtedly benefit the veterans, as the information will be instrumental to the healthcare professionals to detect any underlying problems, such as mental health issues, and provide the best health-care services (Sherman et al). The current Wikipedia page also does not explicate on the recent changes in the VHA. The 2013 VHA Strategic Plan calls for the creation of the Office of Health Equity and the expansion of the role of government in improving healthcare services for gay and lesbian veterans (Sharpe and Uchendu). The needs and provision of health care to the gay and lesbian veterans is an important topic, as it will help us to have a better understanding of the LGBT communities, their hardships, and instances of discrimination that they are enduring (Sharpe and Uchendu). I found two scholarly sources that will support my Wikipedia contribution. One article is “Ensuring Appropriate Care for LGBT Veterans in the Veterans Health Administration” by Virginia Sharpe and Uchenna Uchendu. The other article is “Communication between VA Providers and Sexual and Gender Minority Veterans: A Pilot Study” by Michelle Sherman and her co-authors. I will be adding a new section to discuss the health care needs and the significance of equitable healthcare for gay and lesbian veterans in the Wikipedia web page. In the past, gay and lesbian military personnel and veterans were uncomfortable in disclosing their sexual orientation or identities because they were afraid that this information could lead to their discharge from the military (Sherman et al). It could also instigate discrimination because of societal stereotypes and stigmas (Sherman et al). The gay and lesbian veterans were worried that they would be denied medical service or visitation rights for their partners (Sherman et al). I will be adding some information from Sherman and her coauthor’s recent study on the satisfaction of the gay and lesbian veterans with the healthcare services that they are receiving (Sherman et al). According to their studies of the Veteran Hospitals in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Houston, Texas, out of the 58 gay and lesbian veterans surveyed, over two-thirds of them admit that they have never discussed their sexual orientation with their healthcare providers (Sherman et al). Only approximately 28% of the veterans are satisfied with their healthcare treatment (Sherman et al). Other veterans express their feelings that the VHA does not provide a welcoming environment, and the health care providers are not receptive to their medical needs (Sherman et al). Consequently, some gay and lesbian veterans are hesitant to seek medical assistance from the VHA. They have trouble in finding adequate and equitable healthcare services (Sherman et al). But it is important for the gay and lesbian veterans to feel at ease with their health care providers. If they can divulge their personal information and communicate with their physicians, it is more likely that they will receive better medical treatment and better outcomes (Sherman et al). To alleviate these concerns and to provide better health care services, the VHA has recently introduced some policy changes. I will be adding a section on these new VHA programs. For example, the VHA has established the Office of Health Equity (Sharpe and Uchendu). In particular, the VHA is instituting policies that require healthcare providers to care for gay and lesbian patients in the same respectful manner as other patients (Sharpe and Uchendu). Another policy is to redefine the meaning of “family” and allow the gay and lesbian veterans to decide who is regarded as part of their family (Sharpe and Uchendu). The VHA also has initiated educational and training programs to help healthcare providers to be more knowledgeable about the psychological and social distresses and concerns that the gay and lesbian veterans have as well as their preferences (Sharpe and Uchendu). The healthcare professionals are also trained to build better rapport with the veterans to prevent discrimination (Sharpe and Uchendu). Since the gay and lesbian veterans are not asked to disclose information about their sexual orientation on medical forms, the healthcare providers are often unaware of this information when they consider medical treatment options (Sharpe and Uchendu). In response to these concerns, the Institute of Medicine suggested that patients disclose such information on medical records; however, it is important to ensure that this information is private and confidential and will only be used to assess health and health equity (Sharpe and Uchendu). It is also essential to create a welcoming environment for the gay and lesbian veterans so that the patients will not feel stigmatized because of their sexual identities or orientation (Sharpe and Uchendu). The goal of these first steps is to foster a sense of trust between the gay and lesbian patients and the healthcare providers (Sharpe and Uchendu). By adding this information in the web page, I can contribute to Wikipedia and to the field. QCommunity1 (talk) 22:48, 4 November 2014 (UTC)
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Your submission at Articles for creation: LGBT healthcare in the United States military has been accepted
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Kevin Rutherford (talk) 17:36, 31 December 2014 (UTC)