Brief Communication: A brief communication on the action plan to improve gender, sex and sexual orientation documentation practices in Canadian electronic health records

Abstract

Sexual and gender minorities (SGM) who have cancer face numerous challenges. Many experience discrimination, stigmatization and even violence when seeking care. As a result, some SGM avoid or delay care altogether leading to reduced cancer screening, increased cancer risks, and cancer being detected at a later stage (Margolies & Brown, 2018). Despite the tremendous progress over the years in the prevention, diagnosis, and management of cancer, much less is known about the cancer burden and support needs of the SGM cancer populations (Scime, 2019). This is particularly important for oncology nurses, since they interact closely with cancer patients throughout the entire care continuum. As such, their knowledge and empathy towards SGM can greatly influence the quality of care and outcomes for SGM cancer patients.