LGBTQ+ patients still face significant barriers when accessing care—from digital disconnects to deep-rooted discrimination. Learn how healthcare systems can build trust, close gaps, and create more patient-centered experiences.
With nearly 8% of U.S. adults identifying as LGBTQ+ (up 2% from 2020, according to a recent Gallup survey), it’s clear that more people feel empowered to express who they are. But while representation continues to grow, healthcare remains one area where many still feel overlooked and underserved.1
Although some progress has been made in making LGBTQ+ patient care safer and personal, trust in the healthcare system remains low. A Healthgrades study found that just 17% of LGBTQ+ patients trust the U.S. healthcare system, compared to 33% of cisgender, heterosexual adults.2 This lack of trust often begins before a patient even walks through the door, and that’s because outdated websites, unclear information, and language that doesn’t reflect people’s real-life experiences can create a digital disconnect. These early barriers highlight the importance of designing better digital access to care, so that confidence and relevance are built from the first interaction.
Every step of the patient journey, from searching for a doctor to scheduling a follow-up appointment, is a chance to build patient trust. Healthcare organizations that want to reach overlooked patient groups and reduce gaps in care must be intentional at every touchpoint, making sure patients feel seen, respected, and supported from the very first click.
Why LGBTQ+ Patients Delay or Avoid Care
For many LGBTQ+ patients, seeking medical care involves weighing the emotional risk of being dismissed, misunderstood, or not taken seriously, which can lead to many delaying or avoiding care altogether. One recent survey shows just how widespread this hesitation is: LGBTQ+ adults reported lower levels of trust across the care continuum compared to their cisgender, heterosexual peers.
Patient Trust Across Healthcare Roles
| Care Team | LGBTQ+ Patients | Cisgender, Heterosexual Patients |
| Primary Care Doctors | 59.8% | 74.1% |
| Specialists | 56.5% | 71.7% |
| Health Systems Overall | 17.8% | 30.4% |
This erosion of trust often stems from repeated experiences with unequal care. Nearly half (46.5%) of LGBTQ+ adults in the same study said their symptoms or health concerns had been minimized or ignored. A key factor is that many care teams lack training to meet the needs of patients from different backgrounds, resulting in care gaps like missed conversations around topics like HIV prevention or insufficient support for hormone therapy.
While healthcare has come a long way since homosexuality was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 1973, lingering stigmas still shape how LGBTQ+ individuals are treated across many aspects of life, including medical care. These dynamics affect trust, expectations, and health outcomes.
In fact, 36% of LGBTQ+ adults reported experiencing unfair or negative treatment in 2024—more than double the rate of non-LGBTQ+ adults. That figure climbs to 40% for LGBTQ+ adults of color, versus 26% of their non-LGBTQ+ peers. Transgender respondents face the highest rates overall, with 62% reporting negative interactions in the past year.
Even when these experiences happen outside clinical settings, they can still influence how patients approach medical care. For example, being misgendered at the front desk or overhearing insensitive remarks in waiting areas can make patients feel unwelcome before they even meet their doctor. These moments shape expectations, influence perceptions of how doctors communicate, and ultimately affect whether someone feels comfortable enough to return for follow-up care.
Mental health adds another layer of complexity. According to the American Psychiatric Association, LGBTQ+ adults are more than twice as likely as their heterosexual counterparts to experience mental health conditions. Yet, the fear of discrimination can prevent people from accessing the care they need. In the Healthgrades study, 6% of LGBTQ+ adults said they avoided care due to concerns about how their gender identity would be received—a figure that translates to more than one million people nationwide.3
Those who do seek care often report uncomfortable or negative experiences. According to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), LGBTQ+ adults are twice as likely as non-LGBTQ+ adults to report harm or discomfort during healthcare visits. For example:
- 33% of LGBTQ+ adults said they’ve been treated unfairly or spoken to in a demeaning way during a healthcare visit, more than double the rate of non-LGBTQ+ adults (15%).
- 61% reported at least one negative interaction with a doctor, such as being blamed for a condition, having questions or concerns ignored, receiving inaccurate assumptions without being asked, and being denied pain medication.
- 24% said these experiences caused their health to worsen, compared to 9% of non-LGBTQ+ patients.
- 60% stated they mentally prepare for these negative interactions, compared to 40% of non-LGBTQ+ adults.
In another KFF study, 50% of LGBTQ+ adults reported living with a chronic health condition that requires ongoing care. However, half of those who recently sought care reported having a negative social encounter. When medical visits feel stressful or unsafe, it’s no surprise that many opt out altogether.
This pattern also extends to preventive health. From the 2023 Healthgrades LGBTQ+ study:4
- 1 in 4 LGBTQ+ adults said they had not received any health screenings, compared to 1 in 5 cisgender, heterosexual adults.
- Half of LGBTQ+ respondents said they had intentionally delayed, skipped, or avoided a medical exam in the past 12 months—25% more likely to do so than their non-LGBTQ+ peers.
While out-of-pocket costs remain a primary barrier to care for many, LGBTQ+ adults are nearly three times more likely to skip an appointment due to mental health challenges and twice as likely to avoid screenings after a prior negative healthcare experience.5
These trends make it clear that trust isn’t built in the exam room alone. It starts earlier, with better online experiences, clearer communication, and care journeys designed to meet people where they are.
What’s Missing from LGBTQ+ Healthcare Marketing
Even the most well-intentioned healthcare websites can miss critical cues that matter to LGBTQ+ communities. What’s meant to feel welcoming can end up feeling impersonal, distant, and irrelevant.
Many digital campaigns and healthcare sites aim to be broadly welcoming with one-size-fits-all messaging. However, in doing so, visuals may feel dated or out of touch, and important topics, such as mental health, preventive care, or services relevant to LGBTQ+ patients, are often buried or missing altogether. Without clear intention and focus, messaging efforts risk falling flat.
Moreover, grouping the LGBTQ+ community into a single category ignores the distinct needs and experiences of individuals within it. Gay men, lesbian women, bisexual individuals, transgender and nonbinary people each navigate healthcare differently, and they deserve messaging that reflects those unique realities. As a result, when digital missteps miss that mark, they may unintentionally send a message: this care wasn’t designed with you in mind.
However, rewriting site copy and swapping out images isn’t enough to make LGBTQ+ healthcare marketing effective. To make a lasting impression and start improving LGBTQ+ patient trust, healthcare organizations must focus on delivering a more thoughtful digital experience that prioritizes:
- Transparency: Set clear expectations about what patients can expect from their care journey.
- Relevance: Use real stories and dynamic content that reflect various lived experiences.
- Clarity: Make it easy for people to find the services, specialties, and policies that matter to them.
Partnering with third-party platforms like Healthgrades can help organizations reach underserved patient groups by improving searchability and showing patients where to turn for trustworthy LGBTQ+ patient care.
Strategies for Improving LGBTQ+ Patient Trust
From imagery and digital messaging tailored to LGBTQ+ audiences to more empathetic front desk interactions, small changes in how you communicate with LGBTQ+ patients can make a big difference. Here are five key ways to improve LGBTQ+ patient trust.
1. Build Trust with Detailed Doctor Profiles
First impressions often happen online, and those moments matter. Ensure doctor bios are written in clear, patient-centered language and include relevant experience supporting patients with varied care needs. Accurate, professional photos can also help build familiarity before a visit. Encouraging patient reviews—especially those that reflect positive, trust-building experiences—can reinforce credibility and help others feel more confident choosing your organization.
According to a KFF report, patients with a regular doctor are more likely to receive preventive care. Yet many LGBTQ+ adults are less likely to have one. A complete and informative online profile can help close that gap by improving digital access to care and making it easier for patients to find a doctor who feels like the right fit from the start.
On Healthgrades, healthcare professionals can apply to display Healthgrades’ LGBTQ+ Affirming Care Designation on their profiles through a self-reported, voluntary verification process focusing on experience treating LGBTQ+ patients and affirming statements, which doctors and other healthcare professionals can choose to commit to. This designation allows LGBTQ+ patients to identify and connect with nearly 2,000 healthcare professionals dedicated to providing LGBTQ+ communities with compassionate and respectful care. Healthcare professionals can email [email protected] to apply.
2. Create Clear, Relevant Messaging
How you talk about care can shape whether patients feel safe engaging with it. Speaking openly about conditions that matter to LGBTQ+ patients—like anxiety, fertility, or sexual health—can reduce stigma and encourage more people to seek information and help. Consider including real patient stories in digital content to foster connection and reflect a broader range of care experiences.
3. Reduce Friction in the Care Journey
Some patients hesitate to contact a medical office out of fear of uncomfortable interactions. Start with respectful language across your website, and review intake forms to reflect different identities and relationship structures. Digital tools like secure messaging, real-time chat, and simplified scheduling can lower those barriers and help care feel more approachable. For example, AI-powered chat features allow people to ask private questions without judgment, and online appointment scheduling (OAS) tools help make the appointment process easier. These features improve efficiency, and more importantly, support patients who may otherwise stay away.
4. Make Navigation Effortless
Once someone finds your website or a doctor’s profile, the path forward should be clear.
Offer appointment guides that explain what to expect during a visit, and make it easy to find mental health resources or support services tailored to different patient needs. Internally, equip both front desk and clinical staff with training to communicate with empathy and awareness. These efforts reduce the risk of gaslighting and awkward encounters and go a long way toward improving LGBTQ+ patient trust.
5. Extend Support Beyond the Clinic
Trust doesn’t stop at the clinic door. Partnering with local organizations, participating in community events, or offering educational programs shows your investment in people’s long-term health—not just during Pride Month but year-round. Sharing these efforts online sends a clear message: your team is committed to showing up in meaningful ways.
These strategies help lay the groundwork for patient trust, and Healthgrades gives you the tools to turn that trust into action—helping patients find, choose, and feel confident in your organization.
Bridge the LGBTQ+ Patient Trust Gap with Healthgrades
As America’s leading platform connecting patients to healthcare professionals, Healthgrades offers a suite of solutions to help your healthcare brand boost trust and make it easier for LGBTQ+ patients to find care they can return to.
For Health Systems and Medical Practices
Healthgrades’ Advertising Solutions for Health Systems helps your brand get noticed by consumers when they’re actively searching for care. Premium placement—with prominent branding and calls to action on healthgrades.com physician search results pages and provider profiles—ensures that more consumers see your health system first. Increase your brand’s reach through syndication to our partner sites. We’ll help convert more commercially insured patients into appointments for your top service lines, with guaranteed results.
For more targeted reach, Healthgrades Brand Solutions uses a powerful blend of proprietary, HIPAA-compliant data and predictive modeling to help you engage with a highly qualified audience across media platforms. Tools like PatientConnect and PatienTarget maximize your brand’s reach to this targeted audience on Healthgrades and extend it to wherever they are across CTV, web, video, or audio.
Once consumers interact with your brand, consider Healthgrades’ Automation Solutions for Health Systems and Practices, powered by Medchat·ai, to streamline communications and optimize operational efficiency. Medchat•ai is a HIPAA- and SOC 2-compliant AI solution that augments and automates complex communications and workflows across health systems and practices. Its flexibility allows health systems to automate everything from scheduling and triage to pharmacy and discharge workflows, making it one of the most versatile tools in any health system’s tech stack.
For Physicians and Other Healthcare Professionals
Claiming your Healthgrades profile is one of the easiest (and free) ways to expand your digital footprint and earn patient trust. Adding a photo, listing your credentials, and responding directly to patient reviews gives prospects a better sense of your approach to care. You can also apply for Healthgrades’ LGBTQ+ Affirming Care Designation—a voluntary notice that highlights your experience and commitment to respectful care. It’s an easy way to help LGBTQ+ patients identify doctors who truly see and support them. To apply, email [email protected].
Looking to make an even stronger impression online? An Elevated Profile on Healthgrades does more than keep your information current. It helps you make a stronger impact when patients are deciding where to go for care. This upgrade allows you to differentiate yourself in a crowded digital marketplace by presenting a polished, distraction-free page that focuses entirely on your expertise and the care you provide. Your Elevated Profile features a clean, ad-free layout that removes competitor and consumer ads, and includes a direct link to your online scheduler. It’s a simple, effective way to expand your web presence and convert profile views into real appointments.
Get in touch with us today to help more LGBTQ+ patients find care that feels relevant, respectful, and truly within reach.
- People who identify as Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, or as part of other sexual and gender minority communities.
- Healthgrades LGBTQ+ Study, May 2023 N=952 LGBTQ+ identifying US adults; N=1049 cisgender and heterosexual identifying US adults
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
