RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Patient perspectives on routinely being asked about their race and ethnicity
JF Canadian Family Physician
JO Can Fam Physician
FD The College of Family Physicians of Canada
SP e363
OP e369
VO 65
IS 8
A1 Tara Kiran
A1 Priya Sandhu
A1 Tatiana Aratangy
A1 Kimberly Devotta
A1 Aisha Lofters
A1 Andrew D. Pinto
YR 2019
UL http://www.cfp.ca/content/65/8/e363.abstract
AB Objective To understand patients’ perspectives on responding to a question about their race and ethnicity in a primary care setting.Design Qualitative study using semistructured individual interviews conducted between May and July 2016.Setting An academic family health team in Toronto, Ont, where collection of sociodemographic data has been routine since 2013.Participants Twenty-seven patients from 5 of the 6 clinic sites of the family health team, ranging in age, sex, educational background, and immigration status.Methods Semistructured interviews were conducted with patients who completed a sociodemographic questionnaire after registration for their medical appointment. Patients were asked whether responding to the question was difficult or uncomfortable, how they interpreted the term race and ethnicity, and what response options they considered. Interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed, and coded iteratively.Main findings Patients did not report discomfort with responding to a question about race and ethnicity in their family doctor’s office. Although many patients considered the question straightforward, some patients reported different interpretations of the question. For example, some thought the question about race and ethnicity related to parental origin or ancestry, whereas others considered the question to be about personal place of birth or upbringing. Many patients appreciated being able to select from a variety of specific response options, but this also posed a difficulty for patients who could not easily find an option that reflected their identity. Patients with mixed heritage experienced the most challenges selecting a response.Conclusion Patients attending a primary care clinic were not uncomfortable responding to a question about race and ethnicity. However, patients had different interpretations of what was being asked. Future research should explore perspectives of patients in other primary care settings and test different methods for collecting data about their race and ethnicity.