Improving access to gender-affirming care: a mixed-methods exploration of the role of telehealth.

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals experience bias, discrimination, and heightened levels of psychological distress and suicidality compared to cisgender individuals. Gender-affirming care (GAC) is associated with decreased psychological distress among TGD individuals. Telehealth might help to address barriers TGD individuals face in accessing GAC because it enables patients to receive care in a safe, comfortable environment and seek out TGD-friendly healthcare providers. This mixed-methods study aimed to assess TGD individuals' perspectives of telehealth for GAC. Transgender and gender diverse participants in the present research (N = 346) were recruited via Prolific and completed an online questionnaire in March 2024. Participants who reported using telehealth for GAC were invited to a follow-up survey with 7 open-ended questions about their experiences. Responses (N = 57) were coded and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Approximately 20% of participants have used telehealth for GAC and 50% reported that they are likely to use telehealth for GAC in the future. Qualitative responses revealed that telehealth is appropriate for many GAC services and increases access for individuals who face barriers to in-person GAC. Furthermore, telehealth enables patients to receive care in a comfortable environment and meet with their preferred provider. Our findings suggest that telehealth is a widely used and appropriate method of delivering GAC with potential to expand access to care for TGD individuals.