LEBANON – As part of Dartmouth Health’s ongoing mission to deliver the best care possible to every patient, the health system recently implemented a new effort to improve the collection of patient demographic and health-related information. As of May 8, Dartmouth Health has modified how patients are asked about their preferences for discussing their care.

The 9-month project, “We Ask Because We Care,” which is currently in its first phase, is intended to help providers and patients develop the optimal care plan to meet each individual patient’s health needs. During the first project phase, patients will be asked at the time of their appointment check-in what their preferred language to discuss healthcare is. There is also a self-service option for updating this information in the myDH online patient portal. Patients are encouraged to visit myDH and update their information. Interpreter services will be arranged for patients who prefer to discuss their healthcare in a language other than English, at no cost to the patient or their family.

As the rollout of the project continues, additional questions and options about patient information will be added, including race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity. Patients are not required to volunteer this information, but doing so allows Dartmouth Health to better understand the needs of each patient and our communities in order to offer services and programs that are helpful to everyone.

“The more we understand our patients and their individual health needs, the better our ability to improve healthcare services and improve health equity,” said Sally A. Kraft, MD, MPH, Population Health Officer for Dartmouth Health. “We will continue to expand our ability to capture information about health-related social needs such as access to healthy food, housing security and personal safety. These factors, known as the social drivers of health, greatly affect a person’s overall health and well-being. By better understanding our patient population, we can work with our partners in the community to address these issues.”

More information on “We Ask Because We Care” can be found at www.dartmouth-health.org/about/we-ask-because-we-care