IOM asks that racial and ethnic patient information be noted in EMRs
Patient Safety Monitor Alert
September 2, 2009
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has asked the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) to ensure its standards for electronic health records require that data concerning patient ethnicity, race, and language be collected and entered, reports Healthcare IT News. The IOM says that collecting this type of data is necessary because it often tells researchers which populations are most at risk for specific diseases. Additionally, data of this nature will allow states and health plans to compare differences in illness and health disparities among specific populations.
