1. WNY Health Equity Workgroup
To create a culture of urgency to mobilize and align forces for quality through relevant community strategies that ensure health equity in WNY

2. Aligning Forces for Quality
WNY is one of 15 communities targeted to reduce racial and ethnic disparities, and provide models for national reform
Collect and track patient R/E/L data
Evaluate disparities in treatment
Design interventions to increase quality

3. Interview Results Collects Self-Reported Data Measures performance
0 of 3 hospitals
4 of 6 ambulatory centers
0 of 3 health plans
1 of 3 hospitals
2 of 6 ambulatory centers
3 of 3 health plans for specific programs

4. Barriers identified when collecting R/E/L data
Reluctance of staff to ask this type of question
No demonstrated need for data/not priority
Fear data may be used to profile pts and discriminate in provision of care
Patient reluctance to answer these questions
Collection limitations per NYS Regulations
Concern that collection of data may expose you to legal liability
Variations in R/E categories
Lack of funding to support collection of this data
Lack of staff understanding of importance of collecting R/E/L data
Lack of time to collect data
Also – transient population/language and cultural barriers

5. Barriers anticipated in developing a plan to stratify performance measures by R/E/L
Financing and education needed to support new systems/programs.
Time and participation required to initiate standards of care.
Research to support necessity and to get necessary buy-in.

6. Those interviewed agreed that standardized collection of self-reported R/E/L data was logical and indicated interest in participating in efforts to make this happen.

7. WORKPLANS How to engage stakeholders in
Collecting self-reported patient R/E/L data
Stratifying performance measures by R/E/L data

8. Hospitals
Establish on-going communications with WNY Hospital Association and strategize about offering opportunities for EQIC project hospitals to share progress
Explore with NPO how the EQIC project process can be expanded beyond cardiac care
Explore regional information sharing and education opportunities

9. Physicians/Ambulatory Centers
Explore regional information sharing and education opportunities
Work with targeted primary care practices to design implement and collect data
Pilot with select practices
Advocate for the HIT system that is being developed or modified to include standardized R/E/L fields

10. Health Plans
Work with WNY Quality Measurement Collaborative to address value of this data collection and use, for more than select programs
Look to external resources with the national health plan community that demonstrate best practices in collecting R/E/L data

11. Other Legislative and regulatory changes EHR Vendors
Identify and work with regulatory agencies to mandate this data collection
EHR Vendors
Work with HEALTHeLINK to ensure that vendors available in WNY provide standard, established R/E/L fields as well as capability to customize
NYS Medicaid Office
Work with Center for Health Care Strategies to access Medicaid data and integrate with aggregated claims data from area health plans