Sexual orientation and gender identity in organ and tissue donation and transplantation: a curriculum in cultural humility

Current policies unnecessarily restrict the Canadian organ and tissue donor pool by systematically overestimating risk or completely excluding Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual and more (2SLGBTQIA+) people from participation, which negatively impacts donors and patients waiting for a transplant. Canadian healthcare workers have self-identified a gap in their training and call for additional 2SLGBTQIA+ health and cultural humility education so they can improve patient care. Patient and community representatives from 2SLBTQIA+ populations have not been optimally involved in knowledge mobilization and medical education curriculum development to date.

We will develop and deliver an interactive virtual curriculum on sexual orientation and gender identity to directly enhance the capacity of Canadian organ and tissue donation and transplantation (OTDT) healthcare team members to provide inclusive care with cultural humility to 2SLGBTQIA+ people. This educational tool will mobilize existing knowledge to promote inclusive care in OTDT systems.

Our collaborators include an Advisory Team composed of individuals with 2SLGBTQIA+ identities and lived experience of the OTDT health system. We will also partner with Eagle Canada to build a patient-oriented curriculum in partnership with community voices. The curriculum will be hosted by Canadian Blood Services and offered on their Professional Education website (https://professionaleducation.blood.ca).

LEEIES, Murdoch

University of Manitoba

BloodTechNet Award Program

Manitoba

$49,938