We Ask Because We Care

At Yale Health, we are committed to providing all our members with high-quality, equitable care. To accomplish this shared goal, we need your active participation. Accurate information from you about your race, ethnicity, ethnic background, preferred language, sexual orientation, and gender identity is crucial in this process.

We are part of a national effort by healthcare providers called “We Ask Because We Care” to improve patient outcomes and strengthen patient partnerships. Our mission is to understand who our patients are, address the root causes of health inequalities, and take decisive action to close health equity gaps.

Please follow these steps to update your information via MyChart:

Log in to your MyChart account.
Open the 'Menu' and go to 'Preferences and Account Settings.'
Select ‘Personal Information.’
Find 'Details About Me' and select Edit.

Updating this data will help us better understand you as an individual and our patients as a community. This initiative is voluntary and the information you provide is confidential and protected by law.

For more information, please visit our "We Ask Because We Care" campaign's page on our website: yalehealth.edu\we-ask-because-we-care.

Please help us get to know you better!

Why do we ask about race, ethnicity, ethnic background, and language?

We ask all our patients about their race, ethnicity, ethnic background, and preferred language. Everyone is unique, and everyone deserves the best health outcomes.

What are the social 'determinants' of health?

The social determinants of health are the circumstances in which people are born, grow up, live, work, and age, as well as the systems put in place to deal with illness. These circumstances are shaped by a wider set of forces: economics, social policies, and politics.

What is being asked of me?

We are asking all of our patients about their:

Race: Represents a broad categorization of people based on social, cultural and/or physical characteristics.

Ethnicity: Indicates whether a patient identifies as either “Hispanic or Latina/o/e” or “Not Hispanic or Latino/a/e.”

Ethnic background: Represents the part(s) of the world that you or your ancestors came from.

Preferred Spoken Language: The language a patient feels most comfortable speaking when communicating with medical staff.

Preferred Written Language: The language a patient feels most comfortable with when reading or reviewing documents related to their health care.

Why ask about race, ethnicity, and language?

Yale Health wants to ensure that patients get the best care possible.

This information helps us:

- Know you and our community better.

- Identify areas where we can provide additional services.

- Support programs that improve quality of care

- Understand the need for interpretive services.

Who will see this information? How is it shared?

This information is confidential. We limit access to patient information, including race and ethnicity. This information has the same health protections as your other health information.

What if you don’t want to share this information?

You do not have to answer them; they will not affect your care. Your provider may also ask these questions privately during your visit. You do not have to share your answers. You can also ask your provider questions.

The MyChart patient portal is set up to allow patients to enter race, ethnicity, ethnic background and preferred spoken language information themselves. You can enter as much or as little information as you want. For more information about MyChart, go to the MyChart signup page.

Why ask about sexual orientation and gender identity?

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and the Joint Commission recommend Sexual orientation and gender identity data collection to learn which populations we serve and to measure the quality of care provided to all people, including people who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+). Collecting this data allows us to:

- Better understand and serve the LGBTQ+ community.

- Meet their specific health needs.

- Identify and correct health disparities they experience.

- Ensure appropriate and important services are delivered