Denver Health overcame challenges in collecting accurate race, ethnicity, and language (REaL) data in its Epic electronic health records, reducing missing patient insights from 13% to less than 1%. The healthcare provider emphasized the necessity of reliable data to address disparities and improve access to care for minorities. Implementing targeted interventions and garnering organizational support were key to their success. Denver Health plans to enhance data granularity and anticipates broader data exchange in the future, paving the way for more effective healthcare initiatives.
Denver Health has successfully tackled the challenge of integrating meaningful race, ethnicity, and language (REaL) data into its Epic electronic health records (EHR) system. Initially, more than 13% of patient records at Denver Health lacked critical insights due to incomplete data. Through a comprehensive intervention, this gap has been significantly reduced to less than 1%.
Addressing healthcare disparities among racial and ethnic minorities is crucial, but collecting accurate REaL information remains a persistent issue in the healthcare sector. Denver Health undertook a rigorous process to evaluate the quality of its REaL data, a task made difficult by the complex nature of healthcare data collection. Dr. Cory K. Hussain, associate chief medical information officer for health equity and clinical effectiveness at Denver Health, highlighted the challenges faced in defining metrics and identifying root causes of data quality issues.
Denver Health’s solution involved implementing changes in system-level settings and workflows within its EHR. Achieving this required substantial effort, including gaining support from frontline staff and providing them with training on the new methodology. The dedicated REaL team played a pivotal role in the success of the program, ensuring that the intervention was effectively integrated into the registration processes.
Understanding that reliable data is essential to driving meaningful change, Denver Health emphasized the importance of having accurate patient information. By having trustworthy data, the healthcare system could identify specific subgroups within its patient population, enabling a targeted approach to addressing healthcare disparities. The collected data is now being utilized to assess disparities in cancer screenings and diabetes/high blood pressure control among patient cohorts.
Looking ahead, Denver Health plans to enhance the granularity of ethnic background data collection and expand race categories. While the data is currently limited to Denver Health systems, there are expectations of increased data liberalization in the United States, potentially allowing for broader data exchange and utilization.
Dr. Hussain offered valuable advice to other healthcare organizations facing similar challenges. He emphasized the need to assess current data collection processes and identify barriers leading to data gaps. Implementing quality improvement methodologies tailored to address specific organizational pain points proved instrumental in Denver Health’s success. Engaging with the communities being served and creating patient-friendly technologies and training programs were also highlighted as essential strategies. Additionally, generating widespread organizational buy-in from top executives to frontline staff was emphasized as a critical factor in driving the success of such initiatives.
