Best Practices for Gender-Affirming Care for Pediatric Orthopaedic Patients Current Concept Review

Abstract

Transgender and gender-expansive youth may experience barriers to healthcare due to stress and anxiety associated with accessing healthcare coupled with a lack of awareness by providers of best practices for treating this population. The pediatric orthopaedic community has an opportunity to improve relationships and outcomes for transgender patients by understanding the distinctive qualities of this population and how to best support these patients via the provision of gender-affirming care. By following best practices for gender-affirming care, pediatric orthopaedic providers are uniquely positioned to provide affirming, supportive care for transgender patients within their practices, which may ultimately impact patient outcomes and patient satisfaction. Gender-affirming care should begin the moment the patient enters the healthcare facility, continue through all perioperative and follow-up care, and should be practiced by all members of a multidisciplinary care team. Synergizing the expertise of psychologists, developmental and behavioral pediatricians, and orthopaedic surgeons, this article offers best practices at each step in the care pathway for providers to consider.