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Cayuga Health Systems is letting patients who visit a Cayuga Health location next that they may have a few new questions asked at registration to help them experience health equity. A new campaign has been launched by Cayuga Health titled “We Ask Because We Care.”
The goal of the new campaign is to gather demographic information to inform health equity outcomes. Cayuga Health says the “research shows demographic factors can be tied to obstacles that block the opportunities and resources people need to live their healthiest lives.”
The updated questions will be more comprehensive in order to better reflect patients looking for care. Patients will be asked to share standard demographic information, including information on their race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, legal sex, and sex assigned at birth. They will also be asked their preferred name and pronouns (He/Him, She/Her, They/Them).
Cayuga Health says all participation is voluntary and all information is confidential and protected.
“The title of the campaign says it all. We’re asking all patients to share this information because we care about the health of our community,” explains Julia Ressler, Manager for Community Health and Engagement at Cayuga Health. “With more demographic information for our patients, we can provide individualized care in the moment and also look at the big picture to find and address any obstacles.”
The information patients provide will help improve their overall care and help contribute to improvements of care for all. The information will provide Cayuga Health in understanding patient and community needs. It will also help Cayuga on a broad scale at the population health level in identifying and working to address health disparities.
“Cayuga Health is committed to improving the health of our community and providing the best possible care for all patients,” says Dr. Martin Stallone, President and CEO of Cayuga Health. “Gathering complete patient demographic information helps us create a safe, welcoming, and respectful environment with high quality, person-centered care for everyone.”
