REALD Reporting for COVID-19 Encounters

What is REALD?

REALD is an effort to increase and standardize Race, Ethnicity, Language, and Disability (REALD) data collection across the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA).

The policy applies to all OHA and ODHS programs that collect, record, and report demographic data. These data collection standards provide a consistent method to gather information across all state data systems and will help us identify and address health disparities. The original effort focused on race, ethnicity and language and was advanced through the passage of House Bill 2134 passed by the Oregon legislature in 2013. Additionally House Bill 4212 was passed in 2020 that expanded the reporting requirements to all COVID-19 encounters including tests, hospitalization, deaths, and Multi-inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C).

For other REALD information, visit Collecting REALD.

*Please note that for the purposes of this page, we will be describing only the reporting requirements of Oregon House Bill 4212. For further information on REALD, visit OHA's Office of Equity and Inclusion REALD site.

REALD Reporting for COVID-19

Who Must Report

Most healthcare providers will be required to collect and report REALD data for all COVID-19 patient encounters – including all COVID-19 tests (both positive and negative), hospitalizations, deaths, or cases of MIS-C.

PHASE ONE - beginning October 1, 2020:

Hospitals (except for licensed psychiatric hospitals)
Healthcare providers within a health system
Healthcare providers working in a federally qualified health center (FQHC)

PHASE TWO - beginning March 1, 2021:

Phase one providers; and
Health care facilities; and
Health care providers working in or with individuals in a congregate setting

PHASE THREE - beginning October 1, 2021:

All Healthcare providers

Additional information for providers: Implementation details and guidance

What to Report

For all COVID-19 tests (both positive and negative), hospitalizations, deaths, or cases of MIS-C, providers should be prepared to report the information requested in the Oregon COVID Reporting Portal (OCRP) or the CSV Specification.

Information includes:

Provider and Facility Information
Patient Information (including patient ID, contact info, and gender)
REALD Demographics
SOGI (Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity) Demographics (optional)

Additionally, for OCRP reporting:

Type of encounter (i.e. COVID or MIS-C)
Clinical details and status, exposure risks, and testing details

How to Report

Currently, there are two options for reporting the required data. You can either use our secure web-based reporting system, OCRP or you can submit a CSV that conforms to our REALD CSV Implementation Guide. Either option is acceptable, however, an onboarding process is required for the latter option. See below for further details.

OPTION #1: Oregon COVID-19 Reporting Portal (OCRP)

Health care providers can report online using our secure, web-based confidential reporting system.
Case reports are automatically routed to the appropriate local health department, provided the patient's resident address is correctly submitted.
This option may be more suitable for facilities with a low volume of COVID testing.

Oregon COVID-19 Reporting Portal (OCRP)

How to use this portal

OPTION #2: Comma Separated Values (CSV)

Health care providers must be able to generate and submit an eCR that conforms to the HL7 CDA® R2 Implementation Guide: Public Health Case Report, Release 2 - US Realm - the Electronic Initial Case Report (eICR) specification.
Sites that are submitting Electronic Initial Case Report (eICR) and need to supplement those reports to include REALD, must submit a CSV file that conforms to the OHA REALD CSV Implementation Guide.
If this method is selected, you will not need to report through the Oregon COVID-19 Reporting Portal (OCRP). For additional guidance on how to construct your message, follow this template.

Request to submit via CSV

Training

Slides and Recordings

Under “Learning Series Slides and Recordings"

REALD Training Modules

If you don't already have an iLearn account, click "Create Account" and follow the steps.
Use Microsoft Edge for best results.

Reporting REALD Data on COVID-19 Encounters: Implementation Guide for Health Systems/Providers

Further Study

Social Determinants of Health Video. This 10-minute video developed by the Oregon Public Health Division Health Equity Work group introduces a framework for understanding the Social Determinants of Health as they relate to health inequities. Watch the video.

National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS). The National CLAS Standards aim to improve health care quality and advance health equity be establishing a framework for organizations to serve the nation's increasingly diverse communities. Learn more.

Cultural Competency. There are a variety of tools and information available at Think Cultural Health.

Learn More

Visit the OEI REALD page for further information regarding REALD including:

Data Collection: REALD Collection Forms – In various languages.
Workflows, guides, and templates
REALD Reports
Enforcement

Still Not Sure?

Frequently asked questions Contact Us

Health Equity Links

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