Racial, Ethnic, and Language Preference Information Demographic Data Collection

"Tell me everything about yourself; who you are, where you are from, what languages are you most comfortable in?" In 2004, the Kaiser Permanente Partnership Group approved a Programwide policy on the collection of race, ethnicity, and language preference data. Meaningful, authentic, and accurate information is essential to the provision of quality and equitable health care. Health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities continue to be persistent and pervasive. Heightening this complexity is increasing immigration from countries and territories outside of the United States. In 2005, there were over 35 million foreign-born persons in the United States; and our Regions rank among the top states with the highest foreign-born populations. A critical barrier to both patient-centered care as well as culturally and linguistically competent care is the frequent lack of patient data. Systematic collection and analysis of demographic data would inform opportunities to improve health care at various levels of service, from provider-patient interaction to system-wide institutional change. Standardized data collection would enhance our care delivery model; improving our ability to eliminate health disparities/inequities as well as attend to the different needs of our various populations. Come explore innovative data collection activities, the challenges and lessons learned in these processes, as well as opportunities for data utilization.