Faculty Advisor(s)
Lori Charney
Abstract
Transgender individuals continue to experience significant healthcare disparities, provider bias, discrimination, and barriers to accessing affirming healthcare services (White Hughto et al., 2015; World Professional Association for Transgender Health [WPATH], 2022). Despite increasing awareness of these disparities, healthcare education often lacks comprehensive training related to gender-affirming care (American Occupational Therapy Association [AOTA], 2021; Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion [ODPHP], n.d.; White Hughto et al., 2015). A concurrent scoping review was conducted to answer the research question: Among healthcare providers, how do educational strategies grounded in transgender perspectives and lived experiences affect provider competence in transgender healthcare? The review identified a lack of occupational therapy-specific educational interventions, highlighting a critical gap within healthcare education. Transformative Paths was developed to address this gap through program development, education, advocacy, and policy development. The project included four educational workshops focused on gender identity, healthcare disparities, legal and ethical considerations, stigma and discrimination, and inclusive communication. An interprofessional education event, advocacy initiatives, a letter-writing campaign, and the development of a faculty diversity, equity, and inclusion handbook and curriculum integration guide were implemented to promote systems-level change. Twenty-eight healthcare students participated in the interprofessional education event, and students completed the educational workshop series. Participants reported increased knowledge, awareness, and confidence related to gender-affirming care and inclusive healthcare practices. Advocacy initiatives resulted in the submission of 53 letters to university administration supporting healthcare equity. Faculty resources were developed to support the integration of transgender-inclusive content within occupational therapy education. The findings support the value of structured educational programming in improving provider preparedness and promoting equitable healthcare. This project demonstrates the role of occupational therapy in advancing occupational justice, advocacy, and inclusive healthcare through education and systems-level change.
Publication Date
2026
Document Type
Poster
Department
Occupational Therapy
Keywords
occupational therapy, transgender health, gender-affirming care, occupational justice, healthcare education, advocacy, interprofessional education, curriculum development
Disciplines
Curriculum and Social Inquiry | Gender and Sexuality | Medicine and Health Sciences | Occupational Therapy | Rehabilitation and Therapy | Social Justice
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Young, Morgan, "Transformative Paths: Advancing Inclusive Healthcare Education" (2026). Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects Class of 2026. 16.
https://digitalcommons.misericordia.edu/otd_capstone2026/16
Included in
Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, Gender and Sexuality Commons, Occupational Therapy Commons, Social Justice Commons