Demographic Questions

Standardized patient level demographic data collection started in 2013 in downtown Toronto Hospitals following the “Measuring Health Equity in Toronto Central LHIN” mandate.  Ontario Health Toronto continues to mandate the collection of standardized demographic questions focused on 13 demographic variables: spoken language, Canadian-born, First Nations, Inuit or Metis identification, ethnic/cultural background, racial group, disability, support required for disability, gender, sexual orientation, transgender, ability to pay for basic needs, income, # of people income support. Furthermore, this mandate sought to introduce a standardized data collection effort that would secure access to patient demographic data and promote system-level approach to health equity. Community Health Centres have a long history of collecting patient and client-level demographic data and by joining the Measuring Health Equity in Toronto in 2014. They have adopted the standardized set of 13 demographic questions.