How does MNCM best practice for collecting multiple race data align with FQHC regulations?
Giving patients the ability to select all races that they determine are applicable to them is best practice and a requirement of submitting REL data to MNCM. This concept of best practice in the collection of REL data from patients has been established by the IOM and other national experts. MNCM has adopted them for our community. Providing patients with the ability to self-report race and select more than one race is most respectful and a very important from a patient engagement perspective.
There are other regulations for FQHCs that require submission of a multi-racial category. While it may seem that these requirements are in conflict, they can be compatible. For example, if patients are allowed to select all races that apply to them and this capability is built into the EHR, the EHR can then be programmed to report out a multi-racial category of responses that selected more than one race and use this information for the FQHC requirement as well as report out individual selections for reporting to MNCM.