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Transgender Healthcare: Caring for Trans Patients

Understand current issues in transgender healthcare and learn how to provide culturally competent care to trans individuals.

2,702 enrolled on this course

A medical professional wearing blue scrubs, stethoscope with a white tape roll on it, a transgender flag colour lanyard and two medical tubes with the trans blue and pink colour tops on them
  • Duration

    4 weeks
  • Weekly study

    3 hours

Explore how to effectively care for trans people

This course will help you gain a deeper understanding of trans people and the common challenges they face when accessing healthcare. You’ll learn more about the trans community overall, including terminology and trans rights in the UK.

Understanding transgender discrimination in healthcare

Trans people face discrimination in our National Healthcare System (NHS), a problem that can be partially attributed to the fact that there isn’t specific transgender healthcare training for healthcare professionals or healthcare students.

Healthcare professionals are often not aware of how best to approach and work with trans patients, which results in trans people receiving a lower standard of care.

Diving into this transgender healthcare training course

Alongside experts at St George’s, University of London, you’ll enhance your skills in different areas.

Initially, you’ll be exposed to common terms used by the trans community, exploring the process of transition from a social and legal perspective and analysing transgender healthcare in the UK.

You’ll learn more about specific issues in transgender healthcare and the various areas of gender-affirming healthcare.

At the final stages of the course, you’ll focus on consolidating your learning from the first three weeks to develop effective and sensitive ways to communicate with trans people using affirming and inclusive language. As well as identifying ways to make the organisations you work and study in more trans-inclusive.

What topics will you cover?

  • An introduction to terms commonly used by the transgender community.
  • The process of social and legal transition, and current UK legislation affecting trans people.
  • The current process of diagnosing gender dysphoria in the NHS and what treatment options are available, including medical and surgical interventions.
  • Health inequalities that trans people face in a range of settings and how these inequalities are compounded by intersectional factors such as race, class and disability.
  • How to communicate effectively when working with trans people.
  • How to make healthcare systems more trans-inclusive.

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Identify common terms used by the trans community and be able to apply affirming language while working with trans people.
  • Explore the concepts of social and legal transition in a healthcare setting.
  • Summarise current recommendations for the treatment of trans patients.
  • Identify specific barriers that trans people face when accessing healthcare.
  • Explore the health concerns of trans patients in a way that is both effective and respectful.
  • Apply the knowledge gained throughout this course in the development of healthcare services that are more trans-inclusive.

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for all healthcare students, as well as current NHS doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals within the UK. Non-UK based learners are welcome to join the course but should be aware, that this course reflects the UK healthcare context. Learners practicing outside of the UK are therefore strongly encouraged to source local policies and guidance.

Who will you learn with?

Niko is a junior physiotherapist working in central London.

They take a special interest in physiotherapy care for trans individuals and are looking to pursue a career in this area.

Pronouns: they/he

Bec is a junior doctor working in South London with a special interest in neurology and trans healthcare.

Pronouns: they/them

Edinburgh based junior doctor with a background in statistics, and trans education with RCPE & SGUL. Special interests in Emergency Medicine & Young People's Health.

Pronouns: he/him

Junior Doctor in search of the career spark but has a keen focus on LGBTQ+ Healthcare.

Avid plant parent and lover of rhythm and blues.

Pronouns: she/they

Who developed the course?

St George's, University of London

St George’s is the UK’s only university dedicated to medical and health sciences education, training and research.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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Join the conversation on social media

You can use the hashtag #FLTransHealthEd to talk about this course on social media.