In this Quality Matters podcast episode, ‘In Data We Trust,’ LGBTQ advocates discuss why sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data matter and what happens when governments misuse SOGI data.
Dr. Kellan Baker, Whitman-Walker Institute’s Executive Director discusses the issue with Carl Streed Jr., MD, MPH, FACP, FAHA, Associate Professor at the Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Research Lead for the GenderCare Center at Boston Medical Center.
Quality implications extend far beyond LGBTQ communities. Data on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) are important demographic information that can improve care—when used properly. But when government officials intentionally misuse SOGI data, problems of access and quality cascade. Vital trust erodes. Find out why SOGI data are (and are not) special, why or when officials ignore HIPAA protections of SOGI data, and what happens when SOGI data become a political football.
“These are intimate areas of people’s lives that we’re dealing with in healthcare, and HIPAA was enacted to protect that information from exploitation and misuse.
So, it’s incredibly sad to see state actors intentionally misusing the law to take personal health information from patients, from families, from healthcare institutions, not just that incredible intrusion into the provider-patient relationship, but then also to press charges against healthcare providers for providing medical care in accordance with their training and expertise.
It’s an incredible violation of HIPAA and something that should concern all of us regardless of whether we’re transgender or we provide care to transgender people.” – Dr. Kellen E. Baker, Executive Director, Whitman-Walker Institute
Listen here: https://www.ncqa.org/podcast/gender-lawyers-and-the-law/
Quality Matters is a podcast created by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) that delves into digital transformation, health equity, and quality standards, offering actionable insights for industry leaders and innovators.
