I am aware of an incident at my work where a patient attended for a Bone scan.
Male and female bone density is different, particularly after the menopause, and there is a Male referral form and a Female one.
A patient was referred on the Male referral form with all markers on their health records referring to them as Male. The patient did not volunteer the information that they were born female but did say that they were on testosterone injections.
It was noted after they had gone home that somewhere in the notes it referenced that they were transgender and were contacted to confirm this and asses their pregnancy status. Their scan results then had to recalibrated using female bone density values.
Every indicator of a Patient’s sex in their medical records is actually their ‘gender identity’ not sex, even though it actually states Patient Sex.
It’s bloody madness as blood values are different as well. I feel complicit in this nonsense but am too scared to challenge.
I know the answer to this situation is that the radiographers will be admonished for not being ‘inclusive’ and will have to check the pregnancy status of all male patients in future, as they have previously been advised to do.
The logical solution would be for us to record both sex AND gender of patients.They could be referred to and accommodated, according to their gender identity but receive appropriate clinical care for their sex.