Health Research & Educational Trust of New Jersey (HRET)

Research

Ongoing Projects

Patient Race and Ethnicity: Improving Hospital Data Collection and Reporting

Education Campaign

Table of Contents:

• HRET Previous Studies
• Project Overview
• Educational Tools & Resources
  • Toolkit for Trainers
  • Instructional DVD
  • Reference Toolkit for Registrars
• Training Programs
  • Statewide Training
  • Regional Trainings
  • Customized Trainings
  • Web-based Interactive Training
• Technical Assistance, On-site Consultations & Other Support Services
• Contact Information

Project Overview

Patient Race and Ethnicity: Education Campaign to Improve Hospital Data Collection & Reporting is an education initiative developed by the Health Research and Educational Trust of New Jersey (HRET), non-profit affiliate of the New Jersey Hospital Association. The initiative addresses a significant issue identified by HRET’s 2004 study as well as other state and national studies regarding the quality of patient race and ethnicity data collected by hospitals. Findings from these studies underscored a need for a standardized process for uniform collection of patient race and ethnicity data. This two-year project, funded by a grant form the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, aims to improve hospital practices of collecting patient race and ethnicity data and enhancing the accuracy and reliability of these fields in the New Jersey Discharge Data Collection System. This will be accomplished through an intensive education campaign targeting access managers and hospital intake staff that handle patient registration and admission.

As part of this initiative, HRET developed a set of standardized guidelines, a training curriculum and educational tools and resources designed to assist hospitals with uniform collection and reporting of this data.

The training curriculum was developed following the Office of Management and Budget 15 (OMB15)  recommendations, the American Hospital Association’s Health Research and Educational Trust (AHA/HRET) resources and other federal and national guidelines.  The curriculum includes information on standard protocols for systematic data collection, new race and ethnicity categories recently released by the state Department of Health and Senior Services, steps to follow during the patient interview, recommendations on how to handle complex situations and addressing patient concerns during registration. This curriculum is presented through a variety of training programs and educational tools and resources. The resources include a training toolkit for access managers and trainers, an instructional video to demonstrate use of recommended guidelines during patient registration and a reference toolkit for registrars. Training programs include statewide and regional train-the-trainer sessions, as well as customized training sessions and a Web-based interactive training. In addition, ongoing technical assistance and on-site consultations are provided as needed.

The following gives a quick overview of the materials and trainings offered through this initiative.

Educational Tools & Resources

Toolkit for Trainers
The training toolkit, Guidelines for Systematic Collection of Data on Patient Race and Ethnicity: A Manual for Training Healthcare Intake Workers, is designed for hospital education units and access managers to train admission staff and registrars on the importance of collecting patient race and ethnicity data and the best ways to collect this information during patient registration. The toolkit includes information on:

• The importance of collecting accurate and reliable patient race and ethnicity data; and the identified barriers and needs associated with collecting this information;
• The report of studies on quality issues regarding collected patient race and ethnicity data and the identified barriers in asking questions during patient registration;
• Recommended protocols and procedures for collecting this data;
• Categories used for collecting patient race and ethnicity data in N.J.;
• Guidelines on how to ask questions regarding the patients’ ethnic and racial background and tools and resources to assist patients in self-identifying their appropriate categories;
• Answers to questions and concerns patients may have about the rationale for collecting these data and the privacy of their information; and
• Best ways to handle unique and complex situations.

This training tool was released in December 2006 and distributed to all N.J. acute care hospitals. We encourage all hospital units responsible for training hospital staff on this topic to use this manual and incorporate its material within their internal educational programs.

Instructional DVD
HRET also developed an instructional DVD, designed to provide a short training course for hospital staff. The training uses mock interviews to instruct on how to conduct patient interviews, ask race and ethnicity questions and handle different situations in an effective and time-efficient manner. It can be included with the new staff orientation program or used as a refresher training course for current employees.

HRET released this resource in March and distributed it to all N.J. acute care hospitals. More information on this training tool will be provided at a later time.

Reference Toolkit for Registrars
The reference toolkit, Guidelines for Systematic Collection of Data on Patient Race and Ethnicity: A Reference Manual for Healthcare Intake Workers, is designed to guide hospital registrars on the recommended standardized protocols and the use of educational tools and resources to ensure uniform collection of patient race and ethnicity data. Included in the toolkit are:

• A patient interview script providing step-by-step directions on how to collect race and ethnicity information from patients;
• Definitions of Hispanic origin and race categories;
• Two quick reference tools including additional Hispanic origin responses and additional race responses;
• Responses to frequently asked questions from hospital staff; and
• Patient guides and tools available on laminated cards in 14 languages to help patients self-identify their race and ethnicity.

This reference tool was released in January and distributed to all N.J. acute care hospitals. Each hospital registration desk is encouraged to have one copy of this resource for quick reference.

Training Programs

As part of this education campaign, HRET designed statewide and regional train-the-trainer sessions to present the training curriculum and assist hospitals in complying with the state's new mandate, implement standardized guidelines for collecting patient race and ethnicity data and use the tools and resources developed by this project.

The following gives a brief description of these training programs.

Statewide Training
A statewide conference was designed to launch the recommended standardized guidelines and protocols and introduce a number of educational tools and resources available to hospitals, such as the training toolkit, reference toolkit and instructional DVD. The conference also incorporated information on national initiatives and other states’ best practice models. This training was held in January at NJHA.

Regional Trainings
In addition to the statewide training, regional train-the-trainer sessions were developed to provide local training opportunities for trainers/preceptors across the three major regions of the state and encourage participation of all hospital personnel charged with training on this topic. These sessions present a training curriculum to guide registration staff on the best ways to collect patient race and ethnicity data. The trainings also include information on the recommended standardized guidelines and protocols and the use of educational tools and resources to ensure uniform collection of patient race and ethnicity data.

The program to date has offered in four sessions and three locations, two sessions in the northern region and one session in the central and southern regions of the state.

Customized Trainings
We realize hospitals may require additional trainings on the curriculum, and HRET is prepared to offer customized training sessions to those hospitals expressing a need for further assistance.

Web-based Interactive Training
To provide ongoing training for registration staff collecting patient race and ethnicity data, a Web-based interactive training program will be created. This training is planned to provide registration staff with all the modules of the curriculum through the Web. The interactive Web-exercises reflect the entire curriculum including recommended guidelines, protocols and the patient interview script. Appropriate testing components also are incorporated to test the knowledge of registrants and effectiveness of this tool.

HRET plans to release this resource in early fall. More information on the components of this training program and how to obtain it will be provided at a later time.

Technical Assistance, On-site Consultations and Other Support Services

In addition to providing tools and resources as well as training programs, HRET is prepared to assist hospitals exhibiting the most problems in their collection and reporting of these data with technical support, on-site consultations and other necessary services. We encourage hospitals interested in these consultations to contact HRET.

Contact Information

Project Staff
Firoozeh M Vali, Ph.D.
Project Director

Maria Mera
Project Coordinator

Additional Information
For more details about the components of this education campaign, training programs, support services and tools available or to order additional copies of the training or reference toolkits, please contact the Research Department at 609-275-4145 or research@njha.com.

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