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HEALTH DISPARITIES: IMPROVING RACE, ETHNICITY, AND LANGUAGE
DATA COLLECTION
In 2002, the Institute of Medicine released a report that revealed
striking disparities in health care services delivered to minority
and white patients, and urged the development of interventions and
educational efforts. Health disparities are population-specific
differences in access to care, presence of disease, and health outcomes.
The potential causes of these differences are complex and need to
be better understood in order to address them.
Cambridge Health Alliance is well-positioned to be a leader in
the area of identifying and reducing, or eliminating, racial and
ethnic disparities in health care. Our patient population is extremely
diverse and many of our programs have been designed by knowing our
patients' needs and providing excellent, culturally competent services.
We at CHA understand that addressing disparities is a quality improvement
issue, consistent with good medical practice. We at CHA also have
the will to improve and innovate, and the staff, structure and tools,
including information technology, to make change happen.
The foundation for efforts to address disparities is the collection
of good data. To help us better understand differences among patients
in our system, we will be starting an improved system of collecting
patient race and ethnicity information during registration. While
we are mandated to begin collecting the new data on January 1, 2007
(and report to the state starting April 2007) with new regulations
issued by the MA Division of Health Care Finance and Policy, CHA's
commitment is not driven by this requirement. We are committed to
providing high quality care to all our patients, and to improving
the health of all in our communities.
Key to the success of this effort are good communication, keeping
everyone informed and using the resources that have been developed.
A
Guide for Registration Staff
A tool for registration staff that scripts how to respond to common
questions and concerns.
Provider
Frequently Asked Questions
A document from the Massachusetts Hospital Association with more
detail for providers and staff.
For more information, please contact Jacquelyn Caglia at jcaglia@challiance.org
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Educational Flyers
Describe the changes taking place, detail the new questions that
will be asked of patients and provides examples of how to answer
the new questions.
Patient FAQ Pamphlet
A handout for patients that answers "Why is this information
being collected?" and "How are my race and ethnicity related
to my health?"
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