Grant: Health System Impact Fellowships - Doctoral Central Canada 1-year

Collecting and analyzing basic information about people's backgrounds, such as their age, race, ethnicity, sex, gender, income, immigration status, or place of residence, can help healthcare providers better understand and address care gaps. In Chatham-Kent, Ontario, a group of 26 local healthcare organizations work together as the Chatham-Kent Ontario Health Team (CKOHT). The CKOHT has made it a priority to collect this type of sociodemographic information to better understand and provide care to diverse and changing communities, including newcomers, people experiencing unstable housing, and seniors. While the sociodemographic information collected by the CKOHT is essential for informing equitable healthcare across the Chatham-Kent healthcare system, the capacity and support needs of partner organizations are unknown. This project examines the sociodemographic information eight key CKOHT partners currently collect from their patients. These organizations are the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, Chatham-Kent Family Health Team, Chatham-Kent Community Health Centres, Thamesview Family Health Team, Tilbury District Family Health Team, Chatham-Kent Hospice, Chatham-Kent Emergency Medical Services, and Copper Terrace Long-Term Care Home. The study will explore the factors that facilitate or hinder the collection of this sociodemographic information, determine whether these eight CKOHT organizations are ready and able to collect additional sociodemographic information from their patients and investigate whether the organizations can collect this information in a standardized manner. To achieve this aim, the study will include a review of relevant documents, as well as the completion of surveys and qualitative interviews with selected staff members at these CKOHT partners. The learning from this study will inform actions to address the capacity needs of the CKOHT and enhance their ability to effectively support health equity for the people and communities they serve.