Comment

Additional values in the value set

Current sexual orientation values represented in ISA has ‘Something else, please describe’ which represents different sexual orientation categories that may have specific and different needs when compared to another distinct group with different sexual orientation. For example, as per the current ISA content, person with sexual orientation as ‘pansexual’ falls in the same group as person with e.g. ‘asexual’ as their orientation. These two groups may have completely different physical, social, emotional health needs which goes unnoticed in the current context of health equity. The term “homosexual” should be used only after consultation with community. GLADD recommends to “avoid identifying gay people as “homosexuals” as it can be considered derogatory and offensive to many lesbian and gay people.”

The sexual orientation value set being proposed is as follows:

  • Straight or Heterosexual
  • Gay , Lesbian, or Same-gender-loving*
  • Bisexual
  • Pansexual*
  • Queer*
  • Asexual *
  • Two-spirit*
  • Graysexual or Gray asexual*
  • Demisexual*
  • Questioning/not sure*
  • Choose not to disclose
  • Other, please describe

 

*New values being proposed

The answer list for the…

The answer list for the LOINC term listed below 
System Answer ID 1 Bisexual /snomed.info/sct ©: 42035005 Bisexual (finding)  LA22877-7 2 Heterosexual snomed.info/sct ©: 20430005 Heterosexual (finding)                        LA22876-9 
Homosexual //snomed.info/sct ©: 38628009 Homosexual (finding)                    LA22875-1 
Other LA46-8 5 Asked but unknown                                                                    LA20384-6 
Unknown ://snomed.info/sct ©: 261665006 Unknown (qualifier value) HL7     LA4489-6 

Not aware that there is as of yet a federal requirement to use any particular list, SNOMED CT or otherwise.
 

Sexual Orienation

We think that the Applicable Value Set(s) and Starter Set(s) provide appropriate answer options to measure sexual orientation. Knowledge of this information is essential to providing affirming culturally competent health care to lesbian, gay and bisexual patients.


Chris Grasso, MPH

Associate Vice President for Informatics and Data Services

Fenway Health

Please consider a separate…

Please consider a separate vocabulary term for asexual, a fairly common category.