Federal action is needed to improve race and ethnicity data in health programs

Federal action is needed to improve race and ethnicity data in health programs

Collection:
Health Policy and Services Research
Contributor(s):
Grantmakers in Health, issuing body.
National Committee for Quality Assurance (U.S.), issuing body.
Publication:
[Washington, D.C.] : Grantmakers in Health and National Committee for Quality Assurance (U.S.), [2021]
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Subject(s):
Data Collection
Ethnicity
Government Programs
Health Equity
Healthcare Disparities
Racial Groups
Federal Government
United States
Genre(s):
Technical Report
Abstract:
The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the inequities in health and health care in the U.S., but the lack of adequate data on race and ethnicity prevented an effective response. Urgent action is necessary to improve race and ethnicity data in federal health programs that serve millions of Americans. Such data are pivotal to providing access to care, mounting effective and timely responses to health crises, eliminating racial and ethnic disparities, and advancing health equity. This paper presents findings and recommendations based on an environmental scan of selected health programs and over 20 interviews with key informants representing federal, state, and local health agencies; commercial insurance plans; public and private health systems; and health information technology experts. Examination of federal and state health care and public health programs reveals an absence of complete, standardized, self-identified race and ethnicity data sufficient to monitor equity. Key actions the federal government can take now to improve race and ethnicity data--and, in so doing, advance health equity--are highlighted below.
Copyright:
Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY license. (More information)
Extent:
1 online resource (1 PDF file (16 pages))
NLM Unique ID:
9918383083606676 (See catalog record)
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918383083606676