268847 Collecting data on sexual orientation in clinical settings

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 : 8:45 AM - 9:00 AM

Sean Cahill, PhD , Fenway Institute, Boston, MA
Harvey Makadon, MD , Fenway Institute, Boston, MA
Judith Bradford, PhD , The Fenway Institute, Boston, MA
Chris Grasso, MPH , The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health, Boston, MA
Issues:

The Affordable Care Act, Healthy People 2020, and the 2011 Institute of Medicine report on LGBT health all recommend gathering sexual orientation data in clinical settings. This is essential to understanding and reducing health disparities affecting LGB people. The IOM report recommends its collection in electronic health records (EHR) as part of the meaningful-use objectives for the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Questions should be standardized to allow for comparison and pooling of data. There are a number of barriers to gathering LGB data, including patient fear of discrimination, provider discomfort, and confidentiality concerns.

Description:

Collecting patient sexual orientation data is essential to providing appropriate health care. LGB people face health disparities in part because their identity generally goes unrecognized, causing unique health issues to be unaddressed. Most providers do not ask sexual orientation questions, either at the time of registration or during clinical visits. Presenter will explain why and how to effectively gather such data.

Lessons Learned:

Presenter will discuss the testing of sexual orientation questions at a federally-qualified health center; describe how modality can affect data reporting, including use of self-administered Patient Reported Outcomes tablets; and identify best-practices for providers, including ways to make a clinic welcoming to LGB patients.

Recommendations:

Presenter will assess various methods for gathering sexual orientation data in clinical settings, and how to overcome barriers to eliciting such information.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Provision of health care to the public

Learning Objectives:
Identify a sexual orientation question and design a methodology for effectively gathering sexual orientation data in clinical settings, including on EHRs.

Keywords: Primary Care, Sexuality

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am Director of Health Policy Research at the Fenway Institute and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Public Administration at New York University's Wagner School of Public Service. I have conducted research on measuring sexual orientation and gender identity for more than a decade. From 2001-2007 I directed the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute, and from 2007-2011 was Managing Director for Policy, Research and Prevention at Gay Men's Health Crisis.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4050.0: LGBT Health Emerging Issues