There is currently a strong drive throughout many agencies within the NHS and Government to improve the healthcare experience of LGBTQ+ individuals, especially within cancer care. There is a wide range of issues related to cancer including incidence patterns, communication, support, information and highly complex technical challenges arising from the TG postoperative group. A common theme in the published literature and at oncology conferences is the issue of training in order to better support our patients and prepare the workforce for the steadily increasing LGBTQ+ cancer patients. This unique online Masters module is designed to help address this theme by providing cancer care professionals with theoretical learning across a range of themes including gender identity, post-operative changes, impact of treatment on sexuality and holistic care implications. Learners will gain the necessary knowledge and skills to devise evidence-based solutions to improve the lives of their LGBTQ+ cancer patients.
The module delivers a series of fascinating 90-minute podcasts from a range of clinical experts and researchers across a range of LGBTQ+ themes. This research-connected teaching provides understanding of the module content and encourages learners to reflect on the implications of relevant theories on their practice.
These are supported by a series of live online Case Discussions where service users, health professionals and academic experts discuss anonymised case histories in online synchronous Microsoft Teams discussions. These provide context for the theoretical content and enable learners to engage in discourse with peers and a range of stakeholders. Learners are tasked with reading through the case notes prior to the discussion and providing suggestions related to potential challenges and solutions. This teaching method is designed to align holistic care principles with complex LGBTQ+ challenges and issues relevant to living with, and beyond, cancer. The online case discussions provide learners with the opportunity to collaborate with peers and experts. They are encouraged to reflect on their own experience and integrate this into the discussion of potential solutions and care plans.
The module assessments challenge students to locate and appraise emerging evidence in order to synthesise clinically appropriate guidelines and care plans. The assessments tasks are grounded in real-world clinical cases and ensure that learners not only demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes but also develop tools that can impact on their future clinical practice.