Why Collect Race, Ethnicity and Language Data?
Efforts to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health care must begin with valid and reliable data on race, ethnicity and language preference. Although collecting such data alone cannot reduce or eliminate disparities, gathering these data is a necessary first step in identifying disparities and the health care needs of specific populations and planning customized interventions to address inequalities in care.1 Without such data, health plans cannot effectively define the problem or devise targeted, meaningful solutions. This section provides key information to consider when collecting data on race, ethnicity or language preference and share multiple case studies from the experience of the National Health Plan Collaborative members.
