Accuracy of Race, Ethnicity, and Language Preference in an Electronic Health Record

作者：Klinger Elissa V; Carlini Sara V; Gonzalez Irina; St Hubert Stella; Linder Jeffrey A; Rigotti Nancy A; Kontos Emily Z; Park Elyse R; Marinacci Lucas X; Haas Jennifer S^*

来源：Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2015, 30(6): 719-723.

DOI：10.1007/s11606-014-3102-8

• disparities
• race
• ethnicity
• health information technology

Collection of data on race, ethnicity, and language preference is required as part of the "meaningful use" of electronic health records (EHRs). These data serve as a foundation for interventions to reduce health disparities.
Our aim was to compare the accuracy of EHR-recorded data on race, ethnicity, and language preference to that reported directly by patients.
Data collected as part of a tobacco cessation intervention for minority and low-income smokers across a network of 13 primary care clinics (n = 569).
Patients were more likely to self-report Hispanic ethnicity (19.6 % vs. 16.6 %, p < 0.001) and African American race (27.0 % vs. 20.4 %, p < 0.001) than was reported in the EHR. Conversely, patients were less likely to complete the survey in Spanish than the language preference noted in the EHR suggested (5.1 % vs. 6.3 %, p < 0.001). Thirty percent of whites self-reported identification with at least one other racial or ethnic group, as did 37.0 % of Hispanics, and 41.0 % of African Americans. Over one-third of EHR-documented Spanish speakers elected to take the survey in English. One-fifth of individuals who took the survey in Spanish were recorded in the EHR as English-speaking.
We demonstrate important inaccuracies and the need for better processes to document race/ ethnicity and language preference in EHRs.

• 出版日期2015-6