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Title
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Room
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How to Implement Racial/Ethnic Data Policy
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H-Henry
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Date / Time
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Sponsor
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Type
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08/06/2001
2:00 PM
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3:50 PM
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Cmte on Minorities in Statistics, Section on Government Statistics*, Social Statistics Section*
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Invited
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Organizer:
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Olivia Carter-Pokras, Office of Minority Health
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Chair:
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Olivia Carter-Pokras, Office of Minority Health
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Discussant:
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Floor Discussion
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3:45 PM
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Description
The Federal government as well as other governmental levels is committed to the appropriate inclusion of minority racial and ethnic groups in its research, services, and related activities. In addition, governmental funds must be used in a nondiscriminatory manner. Reliable and valid data on racial and ethnic groups are needed to assess progress in these goals as well as to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health status.
Numerous reports have long acknowledged serious gaps in health information systems and databases regarding racial and ethnic data. While a number of improvements have been made in racial and ethnic data, serious gaps remain. Recently, the Department of Health and Human Services has implemented several measures to improve research on disparities in health status and social services needs, to promote the availability of standard racial and ethnic data to enhance coordinated responses to major health issues, and to ensure nondiscrimination in access to services. These recent measures include a HHS policy requiring the collection and reporting of data on racial and ethnic groups in all departmental funded and sponsored health and social services data collection systems. Furthermore, HHS recently released an Inventory of its data collection systems that identified the racial and ethnic data included. In addition, HHS conducted a comprehensive report on "Improving the Collection and Use of Racial and Ethnic Data in HHS." To implement the recommendations in the report, sustained effort at the Federal, State and local levels is needed.
Panelists will discuss policy issues as well as innovative approaches for improving racial and ethnic data collection, analysis and dissemination. Examples will be given as to how legislators, public health officials, and analysts can play an important role in filling these data gaps.
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