The Data Collection Regulation, promulgated June 13, 2006, requires all hospitals and community health centers in the City of Boston to collect demographic information for all patients including:
- Race
- Ethnicity
- Preferred Language
- Education
The Data Collection Regulation is modeled around the principle that patients should be able to self identify their race and ethnicity.
The objective of the regulation is to ensure that all patients get the best care possible, regardless of their race or ethnic background.
Data Collection Regulation: Click here for full text of the Data Collection Regulation 
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Data Collection Guidelines:
All hospitals and community health centers in Boston are required to collect demographic information for all of their patients and clients. All acute care hospitals in Boston are required to begin collecting demographic information by November 2007. The first phase of reporting for acute care hospitals began March 2008.
Data Collection Toolkit:
Model toolkits for hospitals, health centers, and community organizations to collect information by race, ethnicity, preferred language, and highest level of education. There are two recommended toolkit templates. Template A collects information for Latino/Hispanic individuals within the race category and Template B collects Latino/Hispanic as a separate question. If you are collecting information on Latino/Hispanic as a racial category, please refer toTemplate A. If you are collecting information on Latino/Hispanic identity as a separate question, please use Template B.