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Definition:
A multi-dimensional concept referring to community belonging and a shared cultural group membership. It is related to socio-demographic characteristics including language, religious affiliation, nationality, traditions, ancestry and migration history, among others.1
Guide for Use:
Only one permissible value of the client seeking treatment an agency is permitted; this descriptor should be the one that the client identifies as their primary ethnicity.
This information is collected at the initiation of treatment services. This information is typically client self-reported. However, it may also be obtained from referral documentation or from family members. All information collected is to be confirmed by the client or by the substitute decision maker.
Format:
| Permissible Values |
|---|
| Asian-East (e.g. Chinese, Japanese, Korean) |
| Asian-South (e.g. Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan) |
| Asian-South East (e.g. Malaysian, Filipino, Vietnamese) |
| Black-African (e.g. Ghanaian, Kenyan, Somali) |
| Black-Caribbean (e.g. Barbadian, Jamaican) |
| Black-North American (e.g.Canadian, American) |
| First Nations |
| Indian-Caribbean (e.g. Guyanese with origins in India) |
| Indigenous/Aboriginal -not included elsewhere |
| Inuit |
| Latin American (e.g. Argentinean, Chilean, Salvadoran) |
| Métis |
| Middle Eastern (e.g. Egyptian, Iranian, Lebanese) |
| White-European (e.g. English, Italian, Portuguese, Russian) |
| White-North American (e.g. Canadian, American) |
| Mixed heritage (e.g. Black - African & White – North American) |
| Other (Client's self-identified group is not available on the list) |
| Prefer not to answer (Client prefers not to answer) |
Unknown to staff (The client's gender ethnicity is unknown to the staff member, not the client self-identifying as unknown.) |
| African (de-listed) |
| American (USA) (de-listed) |
| Arab (de-listed) |
| Black (de-listed) |
| Canadian (de-listed) |
| Caribbean (de-listed) |
| Central American (de-listed) |
| Chinese (de-listed) |
| Dutch (de-listed) |
| East European (de-listed) |
| East Indian (de-listed) |
| English (de-listed) |
| French (de-listed) |
| French-Canadian (de-listed) |
| German (de-listed) |
| Greek (de-listed) |
| Hungarian (de-listed) |
| Irish (de-listed) |
| Italian (de-listed) |
| Japanese (de-listed) |
| Jewish (de-listed) |
| Korean (de-listed) |
| Other South East Asia (de-listed) |
| Polish (de-listed) |
| Portuguese (de-listed) |
| Punjabi (de-listed) |
| Scandinavian (de-listed) |
| Scottish (de-listed) |
| South American (de-listed) |
| Spanish (de-listed) |
| Ukrainian (de-listed) |
| Unknown (de-listed) |
| Vietnamese (de-listed) |
Context:
Used to:
monitor service utilization by cultural and ethnic groups
assess issues of access equity among the population seeking and being admitted to SA and/or PG treatment
assess whether programs are appropriately available and targeted for various linguistic or cultural groups
ensure that ethnic groups vulnerable to certain conditions are provided with targeted care
plan improvement for outreach to vulnerable groups that do not access care at the same level as other groups
address access challenges particular to these vulnerable groups
to monitor improvement to preventative care and readmissions.
Addressing disparities in health service delivery and planning requires a solid understanding of key barriers to equitable access to high quality care and of the specific needs of health-disadvantaged populations; and this requires an array of effective data. The Public Health Agency of Canada has identified social determinants of health as having the potential to clarify important pathways to health outcomes and may suggest powerful approaches to address identified health inequities. These data can be used to alone and or in conjunction with other social determinants of health to:
- Monitor service utilization by vulnerable or marginalized groups within a general population
- Identify barriers to service for vulnerable or marginalized groups within a general population
- Assess issues of access equity among the population seeking and being admitted to SA and/or PG treatment
- Assess whether programs are appropriately available and targeted.
- Develop recommendations for adjustments to mitigate negative impacts as well as maximize positive impacts on the health of vulnerable and marginalized groups
- Embed equity across the organization and the system
- Support equity-based improvement in program/service and system design
References:
- Canadian Institute for Health Information. Proposed Standards for Race-Based and Indigenous Identity Data Collection and Health Reporting in Canada. Ottawa, ON: CIHI; 2020.
