Promising Practices in Collecting Sociodemographic Data
The We Ask Because We Care Tri-Hospital Data Collection Project compiled over ten years of research and implementation conducted between three major hospitals in the Toronto area – CAMH, St. Michael’s Hospital, Mount Sinai and Toronto Public Health. Much of this work informed the strategy and promising practices for sociodemographic data collection in YWHO, with input and tailoring from YWHO team members.
At YWHO, the most important considerations to think about when collecting socio-demographic data are:
1. Self-Reporting is Key
Staff should not guess any element of a youth’s identity or lived experience. Doing so can lead to misclassification and cause harm.
2. Youth need to understand the rationale for questions being asked
If clients are not provided with a clear explanation of why the questions are being asked, they will be much less likely to feel comfortable answering them.
3. Adequate training and practice for staff who are asking the sociodemographic questions
Investing time and training will help staff gain comfort with the process, understanding rationale, and how best to respond to questions or concerns from youth.
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