Manitoba to become first province to collect race-based data in hospitals

Manitoba will soon be the first province to collect race-based data from patients at hospitals within the province.

As part of a new initiative being led by Dr. Marcia Anderson, executive director of Indigenous academic affairs at the University of Manitoba, the province will collect and analyze racial, ethnic and Indigenous identity data.

“We know that there are racial and ethnic disparities in access to health care, in the care people receive, and in overall health status,” Anderson said.

“Manitoba has been a leader in using data to show the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 on racialized communities. Now we will be the first province to systematically collect self-declared race-based data from patients as they access care.”

Through the initiative, patients will be asked to voluntarily declare their identity beginning in April 2023 as part of routine patient registration at hospitals and emergency departments across Manitoba.

“The collection of this demographic data is essential for the measurement of health disparities that result from systemic racism, bias and discrimination,” said Monika Warren, chief operating officer of provincially co-ordinated health services and chief nursing officer at Shared Health.

“While this disclosure of the information is voluntary and patients are free to decline, it is an important element in our efforts to improve patient care, health reporting and planning, and health system performance and services.”

Anderson says the U.S., Australia and England are already using racial identifiers for health data. Additionally, the data is part of broader health system efforts to address inequity in care and outcomes.

“We hope the public will see the benefits in participating, as they did when we collected these identifiers during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Anderson said. “Self-declaring is a way to be counted as a member of your racial or ethnic community and contribute to health research.”