Enhancing Patient Data Collection Across BILH
Understanding and Addressing Health Disparities
Beth Israel Lahey Health (BILH) is learning more about our patients to keep you healthy. To do this, our patient care teams are asking patients for their demographic information. You don't have to answer, but we hope you do. The more we learn about you, the better we can care for you.
Improving Health Equity Through Better Patient Information
Health disparities are differences in populations in the presence of disease, access to healthcare, use of healthcare services, and health outcomes. These disparities are rooted in socioeconomic and environmental factors that create barriers to receiving care or a difference in the quality of care. To reduce health disparities and improve health equity in our communities, we need to better understand our patients.
Frequently Asked Questions
This means information collected about a group of people that helps to describe them. BILH is collecting the following demographic information: gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, language, as well as information about social determinants of health.
The information will be used to:
- Better understand your health needs
- Identify and track health disparities
- Develop culturally competent interventions to close gaps in care
The information helps us to make sure everyone receives great care.
Gathering this information also allows us to improve the service we provide you.
We are required by law to keep every patient's medical information and personal identifiers secure. Learn more information about our notice of Privacy Practices.
You can still receive care even if you don't want to answer these questions. It is your choice to answer or not.
About Beth Israel Lahey Health
We measure success by the difference we make in people’s lives. Find out how we’re creating healthier communities, one person at a time.