Reasons we collect race, ethnicity, and language data

Article
Read time: 6 minutes

Why is it important for provider organizations and agencies to collect granular race, ethnicity, and language data?

Collecting detailed data on race, ethnicity, and language data is essential for several reasons:

  • Individual data can help us support better care and services through strategies and interventions.
  • Aggregated data on population groups can us find health care disparities and inequities. For example, race and ethnicity data could help policymakers determine where community investments would have the greatest impact on racial health disparities.

Collection of this data helps health care organizations meet the needs of diverse patient populations.

Race Ethnicity and Language