Sociodemographic data

Sociodemographic data is information about a person’s social background, such as their education, religion and employment, and their demographic background, such as their age, gender, income, ethnicity and race. 

Collecting sociodemographic data is an important part of The Ottawa Hospital’s promise to treat everyone fairly and help make sure everyone has access to quality care.

For example, gathering information about the different backgrounds of the people we serve can help us make policies and programs that respect unique cultural and religious practices and beliefs. That way, our staff can give culturally sensitive care to our patients, and patients have a better overall experience at our hospital.

In other words, the sociodemographic information we gather helps us understand who our patients are, make sure that our hospital is welcoming, and make health care better and more accessible to people in our community and beyond. 

No. You can select “prefer not to answer” to any or all questions. Choosing not to answer these questions will not affect the care you receive at The Ottawa Hospital.

Sharing this information helps us in three important ways:

1. Your answers help us identify the barriers our community is facing so that we can take steps toward improving the quality of care that we provide at TOH.
2. Your answers help us to make better decisions about how we use resources, do research and make hospital policies.  
3. Your answers help us better understand the different factors that influence health outcomes, access to care and how often diseases occur.

Only your care team will have access to the sociodemographic information you provide that is relevant to the care you receive at The Ottawa Hospital, such as your preferred language and accessibility needs.  

Other sociodemographic information provided through patient experience surveys will be aggregated (grouped together) with answers from other people.  All reports will be de-identified so that your answers cannot be linked back to you. (See the “How will you protect my privacy?” section below.)  

At the hospital, we will ask you sociodemographic questions during registration. We might ask about your preferred pronouns, preferred language and accessibility needs. With your permission, we will share this information with your care team so that they can provide you with care that respects your preferences and includes any accommodation you need. You can also add your sociodemographic information in MyChart.

We may email you a patient experience survey after your visit to The Ottawa Hospital. This survey includes an “about you” section where you can share your sociodemographic information. 

No. If you choose to give answers, the answers you give at the hospital, in MyChart and in your patient experience survey will not affect the care that you receive at The Ottawa Hospital. 

Only your care team has access to your personal health information, including the sociodemographic information you provide. Staff are allowed to access only the information they need to support your care.

Sometimes, personal health information is aggregated (grouped together) and de-identified to better understand our patients and to improve the quality of care. This information cannot be linked back to you. For more information, please read The Ottawa Hospital’s Privacy Policy.

Your sociodemographic data is part of your health record. Health records are stored following Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA).

The Ottawa Hospital also uses special safeguards. For example, all hospital staff learn how to protect personal health information and must sign an agreement to protect it. All health records are stored on Canadian servers and can only be accessed for purposes authorized by The Ottawa Hospital.   

We take your privacy seriously and follow strict rules to keep your personal health information safe.

Any sociodemographic information that you share after you receive care at The Ottawa Hospital, like in patient experience surveys, cannot be traced back to you. We will remove any personal identifying information, like your name, from your answers. The information in your answers will be mixed in with information from all other patients so that we can better understand the needs of our patient populations and ensure everyone is treated fairly and equitably.   

You can select multiple races and / or ethnicities for that question.    

When we talk about ethnicity, we mean groups of people who share things like where they come from, their cultural traditions, language, and sometimes their religion.  Jewish communities are an ethnoreligious group – an ethnic group that also shares the same religious background.   

We selected the questions and response options based on recommendations from organizations such as the Canadian Institute for Health Information, the Ontario Hospital Association, and Statistics Canada. We also relied on recommendations from experts in equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility.

If you have any comments on the questions or answers, please call the Department of Patient Relations at 613-798-5555 ext. 13377 or fill out the feedback form.

Yes, many hospitals across Canada collect sociodemographic information about the patients they serve. 

Yes. According to the Ontario Human Rights Code, collecting sociodemographic data is not just legal, but encouraged when the purpose is to stop discrimination and promote equity.

Yes. You can update your information in MyChart or by contacting The Ottawa Hospital’s Health Records Department.