Submitted by NCQA on
NCQA Comment on Sex Parameter for Clinical Use: for USCDI v5
- Context-Specified Sex Parameter for Clinical Use Elements:
NCQA encourages ONC to expand sex-related data elements to include the Gender Harmony Project data elements Sex Parameter for Clinical Use. Specifically, we recommend:
- Updating the submitted data element name to align with the updated Gender Harmony project data element: Sex Parameter for Clinical Use (previously Sex for Clinical Use).
- Adding the context-specific Sex Parameter for Clinical Use elements to the appropriate Data Classes in USCDI (including clinical tests, laboratory, diagnostic imaging, procedures), as recommended by the Gender Harmony Project team.
Including these context-specified elements will begin to enable documentation and exchange of structured data based on clinical observation and reflects a step toward anatomy-based identification of clinical need. This remains a high priority area for NCQA, and we have begun incorporating Sex Parameter for Clinical Use into measure specifications to expand patient population definitions previously specified using only administrative gender. Data standards that enable collection of disaggregated sex- and gender-related data promotes broad health equity and supports health equity in performance measurement as well. We are supportive of Gender Harmony’s work and driving industry adoption.
Submitted by nachcinformatics on
Sex for Clinical Use
NACHC supports alignment with ongoing standards development around gender identity and sex and agrees with further harmonization as described below.
Observations: Sex Parameter for Clinical Use [New Data Element]
https://www.healthit.gov/isa/taxonomy/term/4611/draft-uscdi-v5
Overall, HL7 encourages ONC to align Sex Parameter for Clinical Use with the current HL7 Gender Harmony recommendations. Background information can be found at:
https://hl7.org/xprod/ig/uv/gender-harmony/background.html
http://www.hl7.org/implement/standards/product_brief.cfm?product_id=564
HL7 highlights that the Sex Parameter for Clinical Use definition is ambiguous. HL7 recommends the Sex Parameter for Clinical Use definition be changed to reflect that this Observation provides guidance on how a recipient should apply settings or reference ranges and provide context for further interpretation of diagnostic tests. Also to be noted is that where relevant, the Sex Parameter for Clinical Use for a particular diagnostic test is derived from observable information such as an organ inventory, recent hormone lab tests, genetic testing, menstrual status, obstetric history, etc.