Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SO/GI) Data

At Penn Medicine, we know that the more we know about our patients the better we can care for them.

We are also committed to respecting all patients and providing the best patient and family-centered care possible. This is why we have provided the opportunity for you to share your Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SO/GI) information with us, as well as how you would like to be addressed while receiving care.

SO/GI Information We Collect

• Preferred name: This is the name you would like to be called while receiving care here at Penn Medicine. This could be a nickname or a name that is different from your legal name (the name on your identification). We still have to record your “legal name” and it may be used in some instances to confirm your identity for insurance of billing purposes. You have the opportunity to provide your preferred name during registration or check-in. 
• Pronouns: You are able to provide information about the pronouns you use during your clinical visit. 
• Sexual Orientation, Sex Assigned at Birth, and Gender Identity: You are able to provide information about your sexual orientation, sex assigned at birth (sex on your original birth certificate), and gender identity during your clinical visit or via myPennMedicine. You can update these fields at any time via myPennMedicine by using the following steps:
  1. Sign in to myPennMedicine and go to your profile. Click on the button that says "Personal Information."
     
     
  2. Next, click the edit button on "Details About Me."
     
     
  3. Choose your gender identify, sex assigned at birth and sexual orientation from the drop down menus. Save your changes. Please note: It can take up to 24 hours for the updated information to be reflected in your legal medical record.
     
     

Updating Medical Records

Whichever avenue you take to initiate an update to your medical records, you must have the documents listed below. Additionally, consider updating insurance information to reflect the name/gender marker change before to updating the medical record in order to avoid billing issues.

• The court decree (in the case of name change)
• Updated birth certificate or legal ID with an updated gender marker (in the case of gender marker change)
• Updated legal ID (Drivers License, ID Card, Passport)

Options for updating medical records

Please be aware that you will have to provide your previous name and identifiers to make sure the correct record is updated.

1. Bring the listed documents to your next appointment and ask the registrar to scan them into Epic and contact the EMPI medical records team to update your record.
2. Call or email the EMPI medical records team directly to update the medical record before your next appointment and email the documents directly to the team.
   • Call 215-615-2460 or email: EMPITeam@uphs.upenn.edu
   • Scan and email the listed documents

Disclaimer: In choosing to submit your request and documents via email you accept the risk that unencrypted email is not secure and therefore may be intercepted by others.