Use & Optimization News

Feds: Gender-Inclusive EHR Data Standards Support Health Equity

The implementation of gender-inclusive EHR data standards will help support health equity for gender-marginalized patients, according to ONC leadership.

Feds: Gender-Inclusive EHR Data Standards Support Health Equity

Source: ONC

By Hannah Nelson

- Gender-inclusive EHR data standards are essential for achieving health equity, Steven Posnack, deputy national coordinator for health IT wrote in a recent ONC HealthITBuzz blog post.

Posnack noted that in a field like healthcare where precision is vital, it is ironic how unstandardized and ambiguous EHR documentation practices are for sex and gender across the industry.

Misunderstanding the meaning, context, and expected use of sex and gender identity can significantly impact patient safety and care quality, Posnack pointed out.