Digital health companies have made more of an effort to improve care for LGBTQ people in recent years, as more light has been shed on the disparities they face due to clinician prejudice and bureaucratic systems that don't account for their identities.
Below are three approaches digital health companies are taking to improve care for LGBTQ people, according to a report released June 28 by Rock Health, a venture fund dedicated to digital health.
- Care navigation to find queer-competent providers. Many digital health startups give patients the option to find specialists who have been trained to provide care for the LGBTQ community.
- Offering services specifically for LGBTQ people. Some examples include creating courses and learning tools for LGBTQ youth and their families, mental health startups directing LGBTQ people to a team of queer-competent therapists, and fertility startups offering resources for lesbian and transgender people to navigate the in vitro fertilization process.
- Expanding coverage to include LGBTQ people's needs. Since LGBTQ individuals and couples don't usually fit into the infertility paradigm that secures them coverage for in vitro fertilization and other reproductive health needs, some digital health companies are connecting them with resources and coaches to help them find care.