Healthcare Disparities Among the LGBTQ+ (Queer) Veterans

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Research Problem
Quantitative Methodology
Purpose of Research
Quantitative Research Questions
Hypothesis
Sample & Population
Recruitment
Conclusion
References

Introduction

The LGBTQ+ community faces unique challenges concerning access to resources such as education, jobs, and health services. However, LGBTQ+ veterans are a particularly vulnerable demographic due to several reasons. On the one hand, the previously employed Dont Ask, Dont Tell policy prevented publicly non-heterosexual military staff from exercising their duties. On the other hand, the bias and prejudice present within the community prevents veterans from being open with their medical providers, which ultimately negatively impacts their health outcomes. The aim is to conduct quantitative research to determine the perception of LGBTQ+ veterans in regard to their experiences with health services, including the differences in military and non-military healthcare establishments.

Research Problem

Discrimination among LGBTQ+ veterans in healthcare is, indeed, an area of concern, as highlighted in the relevant literature. According to researchers, veteran services are often perceived as discriminatory among service members identifying as non-heterosexual (Dallocchio, 2021). Various elements lead to such negative outcomes. On the one hand, the medical providers who work in military hospitals do not have the resources to address this specific demographic. This is highlighted as a lack of standardized procedures for ascertaining sexual orientation and gender (Meade, 2021). Thus, the Veterans Health Administration facilities do not have a protocol or training for staff members regarding addressing people while considering their individual characteristics. As a result, it can be stated that patient-centered care is not achieved. On the other hand, discrimination may be the reason why LGBTQ+ veterans are either reluctant or dissatisfied with the level of healthcare services they can access.

Discrimination can be manifested in multiple ways, which is why the research proposal is essential, as it correlates with the complex issue of prejudice towards veterans that identify as non-heterosexual. Namely, research mentions the presence of deficiencies when it comes to physicians aim to provide optimal care to different minorities (Byne & Wise, 2020). In this case, the severity of the existing barrier is associated with the individual bias healthcare workers have towards LGBTQ+ veterans. On the other hand, the issue manifests itself through negative health outcomes. LGBTQ+ veterans are, indeed, more likely to have both adverse mental and physical health characteristics, which can be associated with the lack of access or prejudice within the healthcare industry (Mark et al., 2019). As a result, on the one hand, LGBTQ+ veterans are more likely to require medical interventions and treatments, while, on the other hand, they are less likely to address their problems due to the current state of the system. As a result, reluctance is generated in relation to accessing said services.

The research problem also highlights the severity of the area of concern. Thus, most LGBTQ+ veterans interviewed in regard to their perception of the healthcare industry report dissatisfaction (Ruben et al., 2019). Dissatisfaction occurs due to discrimination that has been historically implemented through the Dont Ask, Dont Tell and has remained despite the abolishment of the premise. Moreover, physicians do not have standardized approaches toward minorities, which is another major problem that emphasizes the distorted value of inclusion. Thus, the proposed research is based on an existing issue that has been well-documented in recent literature and facilitated by social and historical implementations preventing the LGBTQ+ community among veterans from exercising their basic rights.

Quantitative Methodology

A quantitative methodology is to be applied to address the issue of the negative perception of healthcare services through the identification of the severity of the issue. Namely, researchers highlight that qualitative studies are less likely to generate bias within findings due to the objective approach to topic examination (Savela, 2018). In the case of the current proposal, the quantitative methodology would highlight disparities among LGBTQ+ veterans and non-LGBTQ+ service members concerning their experiences while accessing medical involvement. The design that can be employed in this case is the cross-sectional survey research, allowing for an in-depth examination of healthcare disparities measures in the current time through the involvement of demographics that can share relevant experiences. Namely, a qualitative methodology would imply the measurement of numeric valuables, such as a statistical prevalence of satisfaction or non-satisfaction with healthcare treatment. As a result, the sample can be divided into several categories, which will then facilitate a comparative examination of the provided answers on the subject. Bias would be minimized as the researcher does not have input rather than conducting the survey, implementing relevant questions and statements, and analyzing the results. Furthermore, the findings and conclusion will correlate with the factual assessment that will be measured through numeric variables. As a result, despite the complexity of the issue of discrimination against LGBTQ+ veterans in healthcare, the methodology facilitates comprehensive and objective conclusions that add to the existing literature concerning the topic.

Purpose of Research

The research effort correlates with the purpose of adding to existing literature and highlighting the current struggle experienced by LGBTQ+ service members when accessing healthcare services. As mentioned prior, lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, queer, and other minorities among service members face discrimination in the medical sector (Ruben et al., 2019). The purpose of research efforts includes discovering the numeric variable of perceived discrimination, developing a framework for the identification of said trait, and verifying the hypothesis. Specifically, the research efforts are emphasized toward the understanding of the aforementioned phenomenon as well as the establishment of a quantitative measurement that can identify the issue precisely.

Quantitative Research Questions

Two quantitative research questions have been preventatively formulated to highlight the scope of the study. The first one is, What is the difference in satisfaction with received medical care between LGBTQ+ veterans and non-LGBTQ+ veterans?. The examination of the topic will highlight whether all veterans have similar experiences when accessing healthcare services or whether minorities are more likely to encounter certain barriers that are demographic-specific. The second research question is, What is the difference in satisfaction with receiving medical care in the military versus non-military hospitals among LGBTQ+ identifying veterans?. The proposed research question will facilitate comprehension of whether Veterans Health Administration facilities fail to generate inclusivity of the challenge, correlates with the entire healthcare system, and requires systematic changes on multiple levels.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis of the current quantitative research proposal is LGBTQ+ veterans experience discrimination in the healthcare segment, as per the first research question mentioned previously. The hypothesis is, indeed, supported in the current literature (Mark et al., 2019). The second hypothesis is Military facilities are more likely to be associated with discrimination by LGBTQ+ identifying veterans, as per the second research question. The hypotheses correlate with the topic that will be examined in the study and align with existing research concerning prejudice in healthcare.

Sample & Population

The demographic that was selected for the research consists of veterans and service members. Namely, both LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ participants will be selected for the data selection process. The aim is to facilitate the participation of 200 individuals, preferably with a minimum of 20% identifying as non-heterosexual. The goal is based on the objective of comparing two groups of veterans in regard to their experiences in accessing healthcare services. Moreover, the sample size correlates with the potential of acquiring enough data for a comprehensive conclusion on the matter. The population (veterans and service members) will participate in the online survey designed to highlight subjects such as prejudice experienced both in military and non-military healthcare facilities, negative outcomes such as apprehension in accessing services, and overall satisfaction with the received care.

Recruitment

The aim is to recruit participants online via social media platforms. Namely, the survey will be administered remotely to avoid potential barriers to reaching the set sample size. Individuals willing to become contributors through the research will have to provide evidence of their service in the military. After completing the first step, they will be provided with the survey. As a result, the acquired data will not be compromised. The recruitment process will start with advertisements of the research, its objectives, and demographics that can participate in further implementations. The members willing to contribute will be informed of the goals, the topic that is being assessed, and the protection measures that will be implemented to protect their identity and private information.

Conclusion

Conducting qualitative research via the cross-sectional survey design will generate a comprehensive understanding of the severity of discrimination against LGBTQ+ veterans in healthcare. The efforts will be centralized around the scope of determining the perceived prejudice as well as the differences in experiences correlating with military versus non-military hospitals. The sample and population, which is 300 veterans, will be divided into LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ groups to determine the disparity. As a result, the current proposal will generate a study that will contribute to the current literature on the matter.

References

Byne, W., & Wise, J. (2020). Toward optimizing mental health care for sexual and Gender Minority Veterans. FOCUS, 18(3), 289295. Web.

Dallocchio, M. (2021). Women veterans: Examining identity through an intersectional lens. Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health, 7(s1), 111121. Web.

Mark, K. M., McNamara, K. A., Gribble, R., Rhead, R., Sharp, M.-L., Stevelink, S. A., Schwartz, A., Castro, C., & Fear, N. T. (2019). The health and well-being of LGBTQ serving and ex-serving personnel: A narrative review. International Review of Psychiatry, 31(1), 7594. Web.

Meade, V. (2021). Patriotism as a construct for understanding military service among LGBTQ+ veterans: A call for research grounded in institutional oppression. Journal of Veterans Studies, 7(3), 38. Web.

Ruben, M. A., Livingston, N. A., Berke, D. S., Matza, A. R., & Shipherd, J. C. (2019). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and Transgender Veterans experiences of discrimination in health care and their relation to health outcomes: A pilot study examining the moderating role of provider communication. Health Equity, 3(1), 480488. Web.

Savela, T. (2018). The advantages and disadvantages of quantitative methods in schoolscape research. Linguistics and Education, 44, 3144. Web.

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