CLAS Standard 10
Standard 10's intent is fivefold and includes the gathering and aggregating of data to:
- identify population groups within the organization's services area;
- ensure appropriate monitoring of patient needs, utilization, quality of care and outcomes;
- prioritize allocation of organizational resources;
- improve the service planning to enhance access and coordination of care; and
- assure equitable provision of health care services.
Patient/Consumer Demographic Information: Per the Office of Management and Budget and adapted by the U.S. Census 2000, an organization needs to collect accurate and reliable demographic data including self identified race/ethnic categories.
Preferred Spoken and Written Language: The patient needs to identify their preferred spoken and written language. When a patient is a minor or severely disabled and the legal parent/guardian does not speak English, both the patient and the accompanying adult's preferred spoken and written language need to be obtained. Observation visual assessment methods for obtaining this data need to be avoided.
Intake and registration procedures need to be adapted to ensure accurate data collection at the first point of contact by staff trained in culturally competent data collection. This data needs to be documented in the patient record and in the larger management information system.
An example of integrating cultural competency education and information is a computer company's development of a cultural competency feature in their patient database. This patient database has a required field that queries the patient about their preferred spoken and written language at the initial intake. The system automatically forwards this information to the appropriate departments and interpreter services.
In addition, there is a hidden table with a listing of the various key populations served by the facility and facts regarding areas impacting health: (e.g., religion; beliefs and customs; family; authority figures men and women; birth; pain; dietary practices; death and dying; mental health; and folk medicine practices and perspectives.)
JCAHO's Management of Information Standards, specifically address the need to identify, gather and aggregate specific identified data elements. This CLAS Standard wants the organization to include the gathering of specific identified data elements in the electronic and hard copy system (e.g., race, ethnicity, preferred spoken and written language).