Midpoint Learning Collaborative: 2024 Improving Demographic Data Collection in Primary Care to Address Health Disparities Quality Improvement Initiative

In September, the 15 primary care practices participating in the CTC-RI 2024 Improving Demographic Data Collection in Primary Care to Address Health Disparities Quality Improvement Initiative came together for their midpoint learning collaborative. The project is generously funded by UnitedHealthcare and the Rhode Island Foundation. The meeting began with a presentation by Siri Colom, PhD, a researcher, and Assistant Professor of Sociology from Worcester State University, who co-authored the Rhode Island Foundation Report, “LGBTQ+ Voices in RI.”  Her presentation, “LGBTQ+ Communities in Rhode Island:  Joys, Challenges & Focused Priorities,” focused on her research for the report concerning health care and wellness for the RI LGBTQ+ community.  After providing some background, Dr. Colom discussed the factors that have contributed to the fraught relationship of the LGBTQ+ community members with the health care system. Finally, quotes from community members and providers who participated in research focus groups were shared to bring to life the real experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals: “We want to normalize and integrate trans care into everyday care. So that it is not trans care, [instead] it is the basic minimum of how we treat people…that trans people are normal, that we're just people, that caring for bodies is what medical care is about. Not caring for cis bodies and then caring for trans bodies as a specialty but caring for human beings.” 

The 15 participating practices are continuing to work on the quality improvement efforts to improve complete patient demographic data collection and will report their progress at the final learning collaborative meeting on December 18. Click here to view the learning collaborative meeting and PowerPoint presentations.