Spotlighting Disability in a Major Electronic Health Record: Michigan Medicine's Disability and Accommodations Tab

Heather Halkides; Tyler G James; Michael M McKee; Michelle A Meade; Christa Moran; Sophia Park

doi:10.2196/38003

Spotlighting Disability in a Major Electronic Health Record: Michigan Medicine's Disability and Accommodations Tab

JMIR Form Res. 2022 Dec 2;6(12):e38003. doi: 10.2196/38003.

Authors

Heather Halkides^#¹, Tyler G James^#^{2

3}, Michael M McKee^#^{2

3}, Michelle A Meade^#^{2

3

4}, Christa Moran^#^{3

5}, Sophia Park^#³

Affiliations

¹ Health Information & Technology Services, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
² Department of Family Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
³ Center for Disability Health and Wellness, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
⁴ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
⁵ Interpreter Services, Office of Patient Experience, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.

^# Contributed equally.

PMID: 36459406
PMCID: PMC9758637
DOI: 10.2196/38003

Abstract

People with disabilities represent the largest minority group in the United States and a priority population for health services research. Despite federal civil rights law, people with disabilities face inaccessible health care environments that fail to accommodate their disability. We present Michigan Medicine's Disability and Accommodations Tab. This patient-facing questionnaire and shared data field in the electronic health record enables the collection and reporting of patient disability-related accommodations. The Disability Tab seeks to address provider- and clinic staff-reported barriers to providing accommodations and fosters an opportunity to redesign health care to meet the needs of people with disabilities.

Keywords: Affordable Care Act; Americans with Disabilities Act; EHR; accessibility; accessible; accommodate; accommodation; affordable care; barrier; data collection; disabilities; disability; disability accommodations; electronic health records; environment; equity; health care; health service; inclusive; inclusivity; minority; patient-centered care; patients with disabilities; reporting.

©Heather Halkides, Tyler G James, Michael M McKee, Michelle A Meade, Christa Moran, Sophia Park. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (https://formative.jmir.org), 02.12.2022.