Beginning in February 2007, healthcare providers at BWH and across Massachusetts started to ask our patients to share with us their race and ethnicity. We are now collecting race and ethnicity information to help us know our patients better. We can better meet the needs of the communities that we serve if we know more about our patients, their culture and their language. We will also ask what language you like to discuss your health care and read health-related materials.

By knowing this information, we can reduce differences by making sure that all patients receive the same quality of care. This information will only be used to make sure that all patients are receiving appropriate care of the best quality. Personal information will be kept private and confidential.

For more information, please consult one of our information sheets:

  • Helping Us Know Our Patients Better: Information on race and ethnicity – English  ||  Spanish
  • Q&A on the Collection of Patient Race and Ethnicity Information – English  ||  Spanish


This page was last modified on 10/20/2011