While providers are required to collect patient information on race, ethnicity and language preference in EHRs as part of meaningful use, data collection and processes in EHRs may be inaccurate, according to a study in Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Researchers examined the accuracy of EHRs' collection of patients' sociological factors in a tobacco cessation intervention across 13 primary care clinics.
They found patients were more likely to self-report Hispanic ethnicity and African American race than what the EHR reported. Specifically, 19.6 percent of patients self-reported Hispanic ethnicity, while the EHR reported just 16.6 percent of patients with Hispanic ethnicity. Twenty-seven percent of patients self-reported African American race, compared to the EHR reporting 20.4 percent of patients with African American race.
Additionally, one-fifth of patients who were surveyed for the study who took the survey in Spanish had their main language marked as English in the EHR.
Researchers concluded their study demonstrates notable inaccuracies and a need to improve processes to document race, ethnicity and language preferences in EHRs.
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