Reading material on improving patient communication

When we work as physiotherapists in the social, health or welfare sector, we always deal with people as individuals. By deepening your own understanding of gender diversity, you can develop  a more sensitive and respectful communication with each patient or client. While you don’t need to be an expert, staying informed about gender diversity helps you create a more welcoming environment for all patients and clients. Understanding gender diversity allows therapists to create a safe space for clients to explore their identities. While sex is assigned at birth, gender identity is a spectrum shaped by experiences and culture. And it is important to remember that each person has the right to self-determination. Gender-sensitive communication doesn’t diminish the importance of gender identity. It allows everyone to be themselves, whether they identify as female, male, transgender, intersex, or any other type. We need to commit to developing a gender-sensitive approach throughout our practices. In this way we can all learn and grow in this area. Gender sensitivity is not intended to invalidate gender but to enable everyone to grow into as own person, for example as a girl, a boy, a transgender or an intersex person. 

Gender has many meanings in our cultures. Take for example the birth of a baby in a family. The first thing that catches your attention at the moment of birth is often gender.

What are the expectations associated with it?

What expectations, or even pressures, can you feel about the baby being the right kind: a girl or a boy?

How do they differ from culture to culture? These expectations and pressures around gender can vary greatly across cultures. 

Thinking about gender pluralism has changed a lot over time, and defining gender as something that is not just determined to genitals but also something that is now seen as experiential, socially and culturally constructed. It is good to remember that each of us has the right to self-determination and to try to move away from normative dichotomous thinking about gender (rigid categories of male and female) and to recognise that gender is just one human characteristic among others. The most important thing is not what we already know or don’t know about the subject, but that we want to develop in a gender-sensitive encounter fostering a space where everyone feels respected and understood.. 

One way to increase sensitivity is to use language that is sensitive to gender diversity, avoiding gendered terms such as “girls” and “boys”. Some people of other genders or non-binary people prefer to use neutral language. However, the only way to be sure of this is to ask the client or patient themselves. It is important to try to avoid making assumptions of your own, even if with good intentions. If our assumptions are wrong, it can be difficult for the client to revisit the issue and correct our assumptions. It is therefore good to remind oneself regularly that gender identity is not visible. 

It is important to remember that each of us also has the right not to identify our gender and this can be expressed, for example, when discussing confidentiality in a client situation. Consider if asking about gender is necessary for the situation. If irrelevant, it can be left unasked. If necessary, briefly explain why the information is needed. If you communicate in a different language, always ask what personal pronoun they wish to use. 

The use of one’s proper name for their gender, even if informally, is very much relevant in an interaction. For a gender-conflict sufferer, the use of one’s own gender can, for example, can reduce suicidal thoughts. It is important to be heard and encountered in a validating interaction. Validating interaction means, for example, that you clearly express that you understand and believe what the other person is saying and experiencing, or that you accept what the other person is saying without judging and that you link what you are saying to what the other person has just said. So, in a gender-sensitive interaction, empathy, acceptance, presence, listening, asking open questions and neutral language are important. (Gender Diversity and Intersex center of expertise)