We Ask Because We Care
Questions you will be asked as a patient to help us better serve you
Lawrence General Hospital’s goal is to provide the best health care to everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, preferred language, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or the need for help with things like transportation, food, housing or utilities. Knowing more about you helps us give you the best possible care. Starting this year we will be asking more questions about you when you come to the hospital for care and in the patient portal. Everything you tell us about yourself will be kept private in your medical record as required by law.
Why do we ask about your race, language, gender identity, sexual orientation, and health related social needs?
- Knowing more about you and your unique needs helps us understand how to provide you with the best care possible.
- Understanding how we meet the needs of different groups of people helps us provide better care to everyone. For example, knowing the language you are most comfortable speaking helps us understand if you need an Interpreter during your visit.
- Understanding the needs of the community helps us understand how to make it easier for everyone to be healthy. For example, working with community organizations to make fresh fruits and vegetables easier for people to buy, or making sure the buses stop at local doctors’ offices.
- All these efforts also help us continue to enhance patient care and advocate for additional funding and support to better serve our communities.
Who will see your private information?
Only your care team and certain support staff at Lawrence General Hospital will see your private information. The hospital keeps all of your information private in your medical record as required by law.
Click here to learn more about your privacy rights as a patient.
Is it required for me to answer every question?
No. You can opt to answer “choose not to answer” if you prefer to do so. Again, we ask for this information to better understand your needs so we can give you the best possible care.
Definitions
Race: a human population sharing certain common physical characteristics that have been passed down from one generation to the next.
Ethnicity: The condition of being a member of an ethnic group or sharing its traits.
Preferred Language: The language most comfortable for the patient.
Gender Identity: A personal and internal sense of oneself as male, female, or other.
Sexual Orientation: The emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction that a person feels toward another person.