Health Equity Data Standards Program (HEDSP)

The Office of Population Health (OPH) oversees the work of the Health Equity Data Standards Program (HEDSP) since 2017. This program aims to enhance DPH’s ability to collect, capture, and maintain high-quality granular data with a health equity focus by expanding and/or leveraging data collection on social determinants of health (SDOH), race and ethnicity, and sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI).

The development and implementation of demographic data collection standards within DPH offices, bureaus, programs, and data systems are well aligned with the agency’s Strategic Plan to Advance Racial Equity (2024-2028), DPH Strategy Map, DPH Data Front Door, and Data Modernization Initiative. DPH Health Equity Data Standards is also aligned with the broader state data interoperability strategy as part of the Advancing Health Equity in Massachusetts initiative, prioritizing the need for collection and completeness of disaggregated demographic data availability. HEDSP aims to:

• Establish a DPH-led collaborative process to support ongoing health equity data standards development and updates.
• Standardize the collection of demographic information, including but not limited to race and ethnicity, SOGI information, and other SDOH data standards.
• Create TA and resource materials that improve understanding and collection of high-quality health equity data standards.
• Integrate health equity data and SDOH data standards into DPH data systems.
• Implement a strategy to ensure compliance with DPH's updated health equity data standards through DPH’s data systems, grants, and contracts

We collaborate with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), Quality Measure Alignment Taskforce (QMAT) Health Equity Data Standards.