Report 2022-102 Recommendation 16 Responses

Report 2022-102: California Department of Public Health: It Has Missed Opportunities to Collect and Report Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Data (Release Date: April 2023)

Recommendation #16 To: Public Health, Department of

To improve Public Health's ability to collect SOGI data, it should make available to local health jurisdictions and health care providers, a standardized definition, wording, and format of SOGI data questions and response fields.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From April 2026

Public Health fully implemented Recommendation #16 by making standardized definitions, question wording, and response formats for SOGI data publicly available to LHJs and health care providers.

Public Health released the Best Practices Guidance for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Data Collection and Display, which provides standardized SOGI definitions, question formats, and minimum response options. Public Health developed the guidance through a rigorous, multi-stage process informed by extensive feedback from external stakeholders, including LHJs, community partners, and professional associations.

Public Health disseminated the final guidance broadly across the Public Health system. Public Health presented the guidance through multiple stakeholder forums, including meetings with CHEAC, CCLHO, and the California CCLHDME. Public Health also shared the guidance during the OHE's monthly equity technical assistance calls with LHJs and distributed directly to Public Health CDOs for further dissemination to their external partners.

To ensure accessibility, Public Health published the guidance on Public Health's website for use by LHJs, health care providers, and other stakeholders. This fulfills the recommendation by providing a standardized, department-endorsed SOGI data framework for consistent use statewide.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2024

- Public Health wants to ensure LHJs have an opportunity to provide feedback on SOGI data recommendations that will affect them. It is doing so through the following activities:

o OHE is soliciting feedback on its Guide to Equitable Data Strategy from LHJs and community groups, which includes a link to the SOGI Guidance document.

o Discussions are underway as to how to solicit LHJ feedback on the SOGI Guidance document, including tying to the feedback process for the OHE Guide.

- CHSI completed a second review of forms identified during the CSA 2022-102 audit to assess potential updates. This review aimed to incorporate the latest SOGI data collection recommendations from the SOGI workgroup, including which programs involve LHJs in their data collection. CHSI presented a summary of these to the Director's Office.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

We look forward to reviewing Public Health's progress toward implementing our recommendations.

1-Year Agency Response

The SOGI workgroup has received feedback from LHJs and community organizations on our recommended best practices for collecting SOGI data, including definitions, wording, and format of SOGI data questions and response fields. The SOGI workgroup is presently reviewing and considering all feedback received. The SOGI workgroup is currently drafting an updated set of data collection recommendations, incorporating feedback and additional research on best practices for collecting SOGI data.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Pending

We look forward to reviewing the Public Health's progress toward implementing our recommendation.

6-Month Agency Response

The SOGI workgroup created the standardized definition, wording, and format of SOGI data questions and response fields.

We are collecting the stakeholder feedback and Public Health will post the feedback on its website once it is reviewed and considered.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

60-Day Agency Response

The standardized definition, wording, and format of SOGI data questions and response fields is part of the SOGI Workgroup recommendations. Currently these recommendations are pending review from the Director's Office (DO). Once the DO approves, the SOGI recommendations will be posted on a public website for providers and local health jurisdictions to satisfy this recommendation.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

We look forward to reviewing Public Health's progress towards implementing this recommendation.

All Recommendations in 2022-102

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.