Instruments used to assess the preparedness of health professionals for oncological care for the transgender population: methodological study

Introduction: Although advances have been made in laws to guarantee equality and diversity in access to healthcare for gender minorities, there is a lack of guidance on cancer screening and care for this population. The presence of cis-heteronormative assumptions among healthcare professionals can hinder the patient/caregiver relationship. The literature points to the lack of preparation of professionals to serve these minorities and the low level of training offered in health courses on the topic, highlighting the need for specific tools to assess this competence.

Objective: Build and validate an instrument to assess health professionals’ oncological knowledge about the transgender population.

Methods: Methodological study with a quantitative approach carried out in a cancer center located in the state of São Paulo, approved by the Research Ethics Committee (CEP) under no. CAAE: 65531822.9.0000.5432 and consists of four stages: Literature review and construction of the instrument; Validation of content by experts in the field; Pilot test; Psychometric analysis. Using Pasquali’s assumptions as a theoretical basis, the construction of the instrument was based on a scoping review on the topic. Validation by experts took place using the Delphi technique. The pilot test was carried out online through the RedCap platform during the months of April to September 2023.

Results: A sample of 133 participants was obtained. The Exploratory Factor Analysis indicated an instrument with seven categories that was subjected to Confirmatory Factor Analysis obtaining the following results: P-value (Chi-square) = 0.001; CFI = 0.924; TLI = 0.895; RMSEA = 0.063; SRMR = 0.067.

Conclusion: Despite the limitations, the results of this study provide preliminary evidence that the instrument “Healthcare professional preparation for oncological care for the transgender population” is a valid, reliable and culturally appropriate tool.

Corresponding author: Fernanda Fachetti Xavier de Almeida (e-mail: fernandafachetti@hotmail.com).