Compatibility in care: sharing REL data to improve member health

As part of our commitment to optimizing healthcare delivery and improving patient outcomes, we want to highlight the importance of sharing comprehensive demographic information with our members. Providing your race, ethnicity, and the languages spoken (REL) in your practice improves patient engagement by helping members choose care providers who match their needs.

Why this matters:

• Cultural competency and trust: Patients experience greater levels of comfort and trust with care providers who understand their cultural identity. Greater levels of comfort and trust open communication, increase patient satisfaction, and strengthen adherence to clinical recommendations.
• Improved health outcomes: Cultural compatibility between patients and their care providers can improve health outcomes. By understanding the cultural nuances and language preferences of your patients, you can offer more personalized and effective care.
• Enhancing patient engagement: Language barriers and cultural misunderstandings can hinder patient engagement. With REL information, we can pair patients with care providers who speak their language or share cultural norms, which improves engagement in their healthcare journey.

How to help

We encourage you to provide your race, ethnicity, and languages spoken in your office. This information will be used solely to enable better matching of patients and care providers, ensuring that patients receive the most culturally and linguistically appropriate care possible. All shared information will be handled with confidentiality and used exclusively to enhance patient care.

Next steps:

• Go to Availity Essentials to update your profile with your REL information at https://Availity.com > My Providers > Provider Data Management.
• Site administrators automatically have access to REL data.
• Staff access requires permission from the administrator.
• To find your administrator, go to My Account Dashboard > My Account > Organization(s) > Administrator Information.
• If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Provider Services via the number on the back of our member ID card.

We appreciate your dedication to fostering a more inclusive and effective healthcare environment. Together, we can make a significant difference in the lives of our patients by ensuring they receive care that respects and understands their unique identities.

Thank you for your cooperation and support.