Spotlighting Disability in a Major Electronic Health Record: Michigan Medicine’s Disability and Accommodations Tab

Abstract

People with disabilities represent the largest minority group in the United States and a priority population for health services research. Despite federal civil rights law, people with disabilities face inaccessible health care environments that fail to accommodate their disability. We present Michigan Medicine’s Disability and Accommodations Tab. This patient-facing questionnaire and shared data field in the electronic health record enables the collection and reporting of patient disability-related accommodations. The Disability Tab seeks to address provider- and clinic staff–reported barriers to providing accommodations and fosters an opportunity to redesign health care to meet the needs of people with disabilities.