Transcare|Improving access to healthcare for transgender individuals
Transcare: Improving access to healthcare for transgender individuals is a program co-funded in the framework of the European Union, focusing on sensitising and educating health care providers regarding a safe and non-discriminatory access and provision of healthcare services for transgender individuals. The Transcare project started in July 2020 and is expected to last until June 2023. The consortium is composed by the University of Crete – Department of Social and Family Medicine, Colour Youth – Athens LGBTQ Youth Community, Positive Voice – Red Umbrella Athens, Orlando LGBT+, Medical Association of Athens (ISA), Hellenic Medical Students’ International Committee (HelMSIC), AKMI and ReadLab – Research Innovation & Development Lab, under the coordination of the MSc programme “Global Health – Disaster Medicine”, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA).
Meet the Consortium Partners!
Transgender people experience worldwide substantial health disparities and barriers with regards to effective and efficient health care services, a fact that can potentially have a negative impact on the quality of their life and the treatment they receive. Transcare was therefore born as a remedy to the discriminatory patterns they might face, and the inappropriate approaches health care providers might have towards them. The project has been co-designed by academic institutions, civil society organizations and representatives of the medical community, in order to engage representatives of the target group and thus ensure a more inclusive and efficient implementation. The ultimate goal of Transcare is to familiarize healthcare professionals with the reality and the needs of transgender individuals and enhance their capacity, in order to establish an appropriate level of trust, respect and mutual understanding, prerequisites for every health care professional-patient relationship. In order to achieve its purpose, the project is divided in 4 Working Packages:
- Project Management & coordination
- Identify Health care barriers and clinic staff training needs
- Capacity building for clinic staff and providers
- Networking – building, awareness raising, dissemination and sustainability
The vision of the program
Our vision is to empower healthcare professionals with knowledge and social skills such as empathy and understanding of diversity, creating an ambience of acceptance and trust for everyone, regardless of gender identity and/or expression and to contribute in the remodelling of health care units in a way that transgender individuals will feel safe and confident about the services they will receive and will be able to express what concerns them, like any individual – equally and freely.
The contribution of HelMSIC
HelMSIC, through the field of action of SCORA (Standing Committee on Sexual and Reproductive Health), aims to inform and educate medical students, but also through them to inform and raise awareness of the general public, in matters of sexuality, reproductive and sexual health and rights, as well as the stigma surrounding these topics. The ultimate goal is to ensure that future doctors are familiar with the above issues and will be able to positively influence the life attitude of the people they treat and also that they are educated holistically and free from attitudes and behaviors that may prevent equal access to health for every person, regardless of any gender identity, expression and sexual orientation.
HelMSIC – Hellenic Medical Students’ International Committee has achieved significant recognition in the Greek and International networks of medical students and future healthcare providers, while at the same time it has a broad network of stakeholders, groups, organisations who wish to be informed on health issues. Because of this background, HelMSIC has undertaken Working Package 4: Network Building, Awareness Raising, Dissemination and Sustainability through which is responsible for the effective and efficient dissemination of the purpose and results of the project during its implementation, as well as the sustainability of the materials created through time. In that way, it is ensured to a certain extent, that the material that will result from the Transcare program will “reach out” the desired audience and the vision of the project will be realised, bringing changes that will be adopted and implemented even after the program is over.
If you want to be informed about the Transcare results and actions, follow our social media!