|
|
|
Surveillance and Alert Systems
|
|
|
Health Alert Network (HAN) - HAN is part of CDC's Public Health Emergency Preparedness & Response Program. HAN aims to ensure communications capacity at all local and state health departments (full Internet connectivity and training); ensure capacity to receive distance learning offerings from CDC and other Health and Human Services agencies; and ensure capacity to broadcast and receive health alerts at every level.
|
|
|
|
|
Information for Health: A Strategy for Building the National Health Information Infrastructure - This November 2001 report from the National Committee on Vital Health Statistics outlines a process for mobilizing the human, institutional, and technological factors needed to support health decision making through a National Health Information Infrastructure. It provides a detailed implementation plan, recommendations for how information can flow across sectors, and information on the importance of personal health, healthcare provider, and population health dimensions.
|
|
|
|
|
Public Health IT Functions for Emergency Preparedness & Bioterrorism - This February 2002 guidance document from the CDC’s Information Council identifies bioterrorism and public health information technology functions and required specifications for implementation. Some topics covered include: the Automated Exchange of Data between Public Health Partners; the Use of Electronic Clinical Data for Event Detection; and Public Health Information Dissemination and Alerting.
|
|
|
|
|
Return on Investment of Nationwide Health Tracking - This August 2001 report from the Public Health Foundation examines the question: What kind of return can we expect from a nationwide health tracking network? As a follow-up to the recommendations of the Pew Environmental Health Commission, Health-Track commissioned the Public Health Foundation to find the answer to this important question.
|
|
|
|
|
Syndromic Surveillance in Public Health Practice, New York City - The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has established a syndromic surveillance system that monitors emergency department visits to detect disease outbreaks early. Routinely collected chief complaint information is transmitted electronically to the health department daily and analyzed for temporal and spatial aberrations. The article was written by Richard Heffernan, Farzad Mostashari, Debjani Das, Adam Karpati, Martin Kulldorff, and Don Weiss. It appears in the May 2004 edition (Volume 10, Number 5) of the CDC’s Journal of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
|
|
|
|
|
'An Early Warning System for Diseases in New York' - This April 4, 2003 New York Times article by Richard Perez-Pena highlights New York City's Syndromic Surveillance System, which public health experts use to detect possible disease outbreaks. The 2001 World Trade Center and anthrax attacks sparked the City's health department to increase its use of and resources for the system.
|
|
|
|
|
'CDC Calls Public Health IT a "Pony Express" System - This article, written by Bob Brewin, appeared in the October 18, 2001 issue of Computerworld magazine. “The nation's public health IT infrastructure is so antiquated that in March, the CDC likened it to a ‘pony express’ system that relies on paper-based reports and telephone calls in a world driven by the speed of e-mail and the Internet.”
|
|
|
|
|
'Public Health IT Needs $1B in Funding' - This article, written by Bob Brewin, appeared in the July 22, 2002 issue of Computerworld magazine. “Even though Congress pumped an extra $109 million into the public health IT infrastructure in this year's federal budget, the nation's state and local public health departments need at least 10 times that to meet anticipated demands.”
|
|
|
|
|
'Public Health Officials Work to Stay Ahead of SARS Outbreak: New Illness Spreads Across Globe' - This May 2003 cover story from the American Public Health Association's newspaper, The Nation's Health, discusses the importance of having a solid public health infrastructure and being able to disseminate and share information in the face of a possible public health epidemic such as SARS.
|
|
|
|
|
A Primer on Health Risk Communication Principles and Practices - From the CDC’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, this primer provides a framework of principles and approaches for the communications of health risk information to diverse audiences. It is intended for ATSDR staff and personnel from other government agencies and private organizations who must respond to public concerns about exposure to hazardous substances in the environment. It can be applied to communication regarding possible bioterrorism threats. Sections include: overview of issues and guiding principles for health risk communication; presenting information at public meetings; and working with the media.
|
|
|
|
|
America's Environmental Health Gap: Why the Country Needs a Nationwide Health Tracking Network - This September 2000 report by Pew Environmental Health Commission called for the creation of a nationwide chronic disease-tracking network. There is widespread recognition that this Network for chronic disease tracking is a critical piece of the basic public health system. The report is available from The Trust for America's Health.
|
|
|
|
|
APHA Testimony Concerning Risk Communication: National Security and Public Health - Mohammad N. Akhter, MD, MPH, Executive Director, American Public Health Association presented this testimony to the Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans Affairs and International Relations of the House Committee on Government Reform on November 29, 2001. The testimony covers the need for effective and expedient communication between hospitals and health departments; the ability of local and state health departments to communicate with each other and the CDC; communication among health entities, law enforcement, and the intelligence community; and an appropriate communications role for the private sector.
|
|
|
|
|
Assessing Legal Implications of Using Health Data to Improve Health Care Quality and Eliminate Health Care Disparities - Health information can be valuable in combating disparities in care and improving the quality of care. However, as this report prepared by George Washington University with support from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation argues, there are many real and perceived legal barriers that make it difficult for the health system to invest in enhancing health information. According to his report, the U.S. health care industry spends an estimated 50 percent less than other sectors on information technology, despite research that indicates the value of health information. Read the full version of the report.
|
|
|
|
|
ASTHO Public Health Informatics Project - This page lists a variety of reports released by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) about informatics. It includes information about public health surveillance systems, knowledge management, and compliance with the HIPAA Privacy Rule, among other topics.
|
|
|
|
|
Bioterrorism: Information Technology Strategy Could Strengthen Federal Agencies' Abilities to Respond to Public Health Emergencies - This May 2003 Government Accounting Report identifies federal agencies’ information technology (IT) initiatives to support our nation’s readiness to deal with bioterrorism. The report compiled an inventory of current and planned IT systems and activities related to bioterroism, determined the range of these coordination activities with other agencies, and identifies and describes the use of health care IT standards in these efforts. It also provides recommendations to enhance preparedness. Approximately 70 bioterrorism related IT activities were identified across six agencies, which included: Health and Human Services, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Veteran’s Affairs.
|
|
|
|
|
Building the National Health Information Infrastructure - This January 2003 article by Don Detmer, was published in the BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making Journal and is available via BioMed Central, an open access publisher. “Improving health in our nation requires strengthening four major domains of the health care system: personal health management, health care delivery, public health, and health related research. Many avoidable shortcomings in the health sector that result in poor quality are due to inaccessible data, information, and knowledge. A national health information infrastructure
(NHII) offers the connectivity and knowledge management essential to correct these shortcomings.“
|
|
|
|
|
CDC's Public Health Response to the Threat of Bioterrorism - This is the testimony of Jeffrey P. Koplan, M.D., MPH, former Director of CDC before the Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, United States Senate, October 23, 2001. “The best defense against such biologic threats continues to be accurate information regarding how to recognize a potential threat and knowledge of appropriate actions. In the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report and in multiple health advisories distributed via the Health Alert Network, CDC has issued several updates on the investigations as well as interim guidelines for state health departments with recommended procedures for handling such incidents….”
|
|
|
|
|
CDC’s Enhanced Surveillance Project (ESP) - “CDC is working with state and local health departments and information system contractors to develop real-time special event syndromic surveillance and analytical methods. During special events, CDC’s Enhanced Surveillance Projects (ESP) monitor sentinel hospital emergency department visit data to establish syndrome baseline and threshold. Aberration detection models developed and analyzed at CDC identify deviations in visit data and report to state and local health departments for confirmation and appropriate epidemiological follow-up. ESP has been tested at the World Trade Organization Ministerial in Seattle, the Republican and Democratic National Conventions held in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, respectively, and the Super Bowl/Gasparilla Festival in Tampa, Florida. CDC will continue development and evaluation of ESP, in order to provide guidance and resources to state and local health departments for implementation of local real-time surveillance systems.”
|
|
|
|
|
Data Collection in Schools: The Role of the State Health Agency - In order to bolster the data collection essential for public health to develop, implement, and evaluate programs, this 2005 Association of State and Territorial Health Officials issue brief describes strategies for collecting information on youths through schools.
|
|
|
|
|
Database Software and Geographic Information Systems - Users of this website can download Epi Info 2000 and Epi Map. These software packages provide the public health community with a user-friendly method for database construction, data entry and analysis with epidemiological statistics, maps, and graphs.
|
|
|
|
|
Emerging Infectious Diseases: Review of Federal and State Disease Surveillance Efforts - This September 2004 report by the Government Accountability Office describes how state and federal officials collect and analyze data on cases of infectious disease. The report discusses new initiatives to enhance surveillance, including expanding public health communications, federal coordination of surveillance efforts, and training. It also describes challenges related to these efforts. For example, some say syndromic surveillance systems, which collect information on health symptoms in particular geographic regions, are costly to maintain and their effectiveness has not yet been adequately tested.
|
|
|
|
|
Gaps Remain in Surveillance Capabilities of State and Local Agencies - This is Government Accounting Office (GAO) testimony, presented by Janet Heinrich, Director of Health Care—Public Health Issues. Heinrich testified on September 24, 2003 before the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness and Response, Select Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives and reported on the capacity of state and local public health agencies and hospitals to detect and report illnesses or conditions that may result from a large-scale infectious disease outbreak or bioterrorism event.
|
|
|
|
|
Healthy People 2010 Chapter 11: Health Communication - Chapter 11 of the Healthy People 2010 document highlights the use of communication strategies to inform and influence individual and community decisions that enhance health. It links the domains of communication and health and is increasingly recognized as a necessary element of efforts to improve personal and public health. Healthy People objectives in this chapter set national targets for improving communications infrastructure related to household Internet access, research and evaluation, and the quality of Internet health information.
|
|
|
|
|
National Association of Health Data Organizations (NAHDO) - This national membership organization strives to "promote uniformity and standardization of health data collection and dissemination among public, private, and voluntary data collectors and users." NAHDO has formed a listserve that can help public health agencies disseminate health statistics through the web.
|
|
|
|
|
National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS) - This CDC site describes a national initiative that seeks to promote "the use of data and information system standards to advance the development of efficient, integrated, and interoperable surveillance systems at federal, state and local levels."
|
|
|
|
|
Public Health Alerting Systems - This 2005 issue brief from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials provides a status report on the alerting systems used in states to respond to public health emergencies and threats.
|
|
|
|
|
Public Health Data: Our Silent Partner - Effective use of data has always been an essential component of public health practice. Being able to understand and analyze data contributes to the process of forming sound public health policies and practices. The goal of this course, which is available from the Public Health Foundation’s Learning Resource Center, is to improve the ability of public health professionals to understand and use data routinely in their jobs.
The course consists of three modules: leading causes of death, teenage pregnancy, and smoking and health. Each module is based on a video case study. The video and workbook guide learners through the process of using data to understand public health problems. The course materials include a 90-minute videotape, student guide, facilitator guide, workbook, and an answer key. The materials can be used for self-study, for classroom instruction, or for distance learning.
|
|
|
|
|
Public Health Surveillance Toolkit - This 2002 publication summarizes fundamental surveillance concepts and provides practical operational tips for those working in public health surveillance. The document also helps readers to critically assess public health surveillance systems and then determine ways to improve those systems. The Toolkit was prepared by the Development Communications Division, External Affairs Vice-Presidency of the World Bank.
|
|
|
|
|
Syndromic Surveillance: Reports from a National Conference, 2004 - This August 2005 supplement to the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report presents a series of peer-review articles on new techniques to improve the effectiveness of disease surveillance. It includes discussion of some promising approaches that could make disease outbreak detection more thorough and timely.
|
|
|
|
|
Topics in Public Health Informatics: Public Health Opportunities in Health Information Exchange - This June 2005 publication of the Public Health Informatics Institute describes efforts to link healthcare providers in the sharing of information about patients. This article focuses on "the mutual benefits that public health and health care will derive from a health information exchange if public health is a viable partner" in the development of these exchanges.
|
|
|
|
|
Use of HIV/AIDS Surveillance Data for Prevention, Care, Policy, Research and Evaluation: A Focus on Florida, Washington, Alabama, and Wyoming - This issue report, produced by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials in 2005, describes HIV/AIDS surveillance activities four states. It examines how data affect community planning, policy development, and program evaluation.
|
|
|
|
|
What the Public Needs to Hear During a Disaster - This December 2005 press release from Temple University shares the results of a survey asking Pennsylvanians where they would turn for information following a disaster. Nearly 60% of the 1,500 families surveyed said they would turn to a public health agency. The public health community also needs to be aware that other nontraditional partners, including the clergy and the Salvation Army, would also be popular sources of information.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Health Statistics and Databases
|
|
|
Evidence-Based Resources for Public Health Practice - This website provides free online access to evidence-based public health (EBPH) resources, knowledge domains of public health, and public health journals and databases.
|
|
|
|
|
Health Disparities & Minority Health Information Resources - A collection of links to tools and resources on Health Disparities & Minority Health, including pre-formulated PubMed search on health disparities, the National Library of Medicine's Strategic Plan for Addressing Health Disparities, and important information and resources for selected associations, foundation, research centers, and grants.
|
|
|
|
|
Health Services Research (HSR) Methods Website - The AcademyHealth HSR Methods Web site was designed to help researchers or research users cross-walk the language, study designs, and methods used by researchers in the variety of fields contributing to health services research. Health services research (HSR) is the multidisciplinary field of scientific investigation that studies how social factors, financing systems, organizational structures and processes, health technologies, and personal behaviors affect access to health care, the quality and cost of health care, and ultimately our health and well-being. Its research domains are individuals, families, organizations, institutions, communities, and populations.
|
|
|
|
|
Health Services/Technology Assessment Text (HSTAT) - HSTAT is a free, Web-based resource of full-text documents that provide health information and support health care decision making. HSTAT's audience includes health care providers, health service researchers, policy makers, payers, consumers and the information professionals who serve these groups.
|
|
|
|
|
MedlinePlus GoLocal - MedlinePlus GoLocal is a special component of MedlinePlus developed through partnerships with local libraries to link citizens to health and social services within their geographic areas.
|
|
|
|
|
National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network - The National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network is a system of integrated health, exposure, and hazard information and data from a variety of national, state, and city sources. On the Tracking Network, you can explore information and view maps, tables, and charts about health and environment across the country.
|
|
|
|
|
NLM Special Populations Outreach Activities and Resources - This site provides quality health information to targeted special populations. In 2000, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) created the Office of Outreach and Special Populations (OOSP) in the Division of Specialized Information Services (SIS) as a way to focus efforts to reach its objectives of improving access to quality and accurate health information in underserved and special populations. In 2008 the Office was elevated to the Outreach and Special Populations Branch.
|
|
|
|
|
Partners in Information Access for the Public Health Workforce - "This National Library of Medicine site offers comprehensive links to health statistics and data sets as well as resources to support data collection. Included are links to national, state, and local data related to health status, preparedness, public health infrastructure, and public health systems."
|
|
|
|
|
Special Populations: Outreach Activities and Resources - The National Library of Medicine's Office of Outreach to Special Populations improves access to toxicology and environmental health information to underserved communities, health-related disaster information in Central America, HIV/AIDS information resources by community-based organizations, and health information for all minorities and underserved populations.
|
|
|
|
|
Statistical Resources on the Web - The University of Michigan Documents Center provides a comprehensive, annotated list of web links, covering international, U.S., state, and county statistical resources.
|
|
|
|
|
WHO Statistical Information System (WHOSIS) - WHOSIS, WHO Statistical Information System, is an online database of the most recent and comprehensive health information on all of the 193 WHO Member States. The data, selected on the basis of quality and availability, relevance to global health, and comparability across member nations, cover over 70 core health indicators, which are organized into six major categories: mortality and burden of disease, health service coverage, risk factors, health system inputs, differentials in health outcome and coverage, as well as basic socio-demographic statistics.
|
|
|
|
|
Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research—Data and Surveys Links - This web link includes information on the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), and Healthcare Informatics Standards. Information on quality assessment, including the Consumer Assessment of Health Plans (CAHPS) can be found at http://www.ahrq.gov/qual.
|
|
|
|
|
America's Health Rankings - This database--compiled by the United Health Foundation, the American Public Health Association, and the Partnership for Prevention--provides information about the health status of each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. It includes data and rankings related to risk factors (such as prevalence of smoking, insurance, and obesity) and outcomes (including infant mortality, premature death, and limited activity days), as well as per capita public health expenditures (see Table 27 on public health spending). It includes a table highlighting areas in which individual states have improved from 1990 to 2005.
|
|
|
|
|
CDC Data and Statistics Links - This website links to several CDC Health Information and Surveillance Systems such as the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS), as well as other databases containing scientific data, health statistics, and laboratory information.
|
|
|
|
|
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)—Statistics and Data - This web link provides statistical highlights and information about Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP, including: Medicare enrollment figures, data on health care costs in facilities that participate in Medicare, and health care indicator data.
|
|
|
|
|
DataPlace - This web-based tool allows users to locate demographic, housing, and income information about their jurisdiction. The site helps users to easily compare across locations and to generate charts, tables, and maps.
|
|
|
|
|
Environmental Public Health Tracking Resources - This website links to several CDC Health Information and Surveillance Systems such as the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS), as well as other databases containing scientific data, health statistics, and laboratory information.
|
|
|
|
|
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)—Data and Statistics - This web link provides data and statistics on HRSA programs and projects. Some of the databases include: Maternal and Child Health Bureau projects database, Drug Pricing Database, and the Area Resource File (ARF) System. Other information available includes: State Health Workforce Profiles, U.S. Health Workforce Personnel Factbook, Vaccine Injury Compensation Program Monthly Statistics Report, and information on Medically Underserved Populations/Areas.
|
|
|
|
|
healthfinder® - Healthy People 2010 Topics - healthfinder® is a searchable web portal of resources compiled by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Healthy People 2010 interface enables users to search on selected topics that are organized by the 28 focus areas of Healthy People 2010. (See “23 – Public Health Infrastructure”). Users can search for links, descriptions, and contact information for government agencies, national clearinghouses, non-profit organizations, universities, and others that provide relevant resources.
|
|
|
|
|
Healthy People 2010 Information Access Project—Partners in Information Access for Public Health Professionals - This preformulated search tool makes it easy to search PubMed for scientific journal articles related to achieving selected Healthy People 2010 objectives. A single click retrieves articles geared to objective 23-5 (Data for Leading Health Indicators, Health Status Indicators, and Priority Data Needs at Tribal, State, and local levels) and objective 23-16 (Data on public health expenditures).
|
|
|
|
|
HHS Data Council: Gateway to Data and Statistics - This web link provides access to key health and human services data and statistics from the federal, state, and local government levels. Several features are available on this web link that provide “gateways” to major health and human services surveys and data systems sponsored by Federal agencies. Some of these “gateways” include:- Datafinder: Provides web locations containing statistics and data. You can use the categories provided to find topics of interest, or search by keyword, organization, or survey name.
- MetaDirectory: A comprehensive listing, with descriptions, of the statistical and surveillance systems supported by HHS agencies.
- HHS Policy Information Center: A database of citations and abstracts (some with full text) for government-sponsored research and evaluation reports on topics such as welfare reform, food safety, and homelessness.
- Scientific Literature: Links to CRISP and to PubMed. CRISP is a searchable database of federally funded biomedical research projects conducted at universities, hospitals, and other research institutions. PubMed provides access to over 11 million MEDLINE citations dating back to the mid-1960's and additional life science journals; it includes links to many sites providing full text articles and other related resources.
|
|
|
|
|
Nationwide Health Tracking Network Campaign - This fact sheet provides information on the campaign, and provides facts that support the development of a nationwide health-tracking network. Sponsored by the Trust for America’s Health, which advocates for sustained investments in the fundamentals of our public health system. The initiative aims to establish a nationwide health tracking network that monitors chronic diseases and environmental factors that may be related to them.
|
|
|
|
|
PHSR Database in HSRR (Health Services and Sciences Research Resources) - Click Browse, or Search "PHSR" – A public health systems research (PHSR) database to help researchers find datasets, instruments/indices, and software to assist in conducting PHSR. The University of Kentucky College of Public Health developed this searchable PHSR database in conjunction with the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and sponsorship from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Records describe data available from public health organizations and programs such as the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) Profile of Local Health Departments and National Public Health Performance Standards Program dataset.
|
|
|
|
|
Public Health Indicators and National Data - This site provides links to data sets containing information about social indicators tied to longevity and good mental and physical health. The data sets are organized by state and by domain. For each of the eleven domains—which include education, culture and recreation, economy, education, and transportation—the site lists the determinants that contribute to healthy communities, organizations that work on those issues, and ways to improve well-being.
|
|
|
|
|
Public Health Information and Data: A Training Manual - This August 2004 guide, developed by Partners in Information Access for the Public Health Workforce, on gaining access to and managing information is written primarily for librarians and trainers, but can also be used by any public health professional seeking advice on how to find information. It includes sections on keeping track of public health news, using evidence in decision making, and finding data sources and statistics.
|
|
|
|
|
Return on Investment of Nationwide Health Tracking - This August 2001 report from the Public Health Foundation examines the question: What kind of return can we expect from a nationwide health tracking network? As a follow-up to the recommendations of the Pew Environmental Health Commission, Health-Track commissioned the Public Health Foundation to find the answer to this important question.
|
|
|
|
|
Strategies for Obtaining Public Health Infrastructure Data at Federal, State, and Local Levels - “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services commissioned The Lewin Group to develop a comprehensive data strategy to support its goal of obtaining better public health infrastructure data at federal, state, and local levels. This 1997 report from The Lewin Group summarizes the proposed strategy for collecting infrastructure-related data. For the purposes of this study, the public health infrastructure is defined as the systems, competencies, relationships, and resources that enable performance of the essential services of public health for every community. The work consisted of three major activities: (1) an assessment of information needs of public health infrastructure, (2) the identification and evaluation of existing data sources, and (3) the development of alternative strategies for responding to identified ‘gaps’ in available infrastructure-related data.”
|
|
|
|
|
Tracking Healthy People 2010 - This publication identifies data sources (as available) for the 476 national health objectives outlined in the Healthy People 2010 document, and identifies “developmental” objectives for which no data sources are available.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Data Standards and Interoperability
|
|
|
Achieving Electronic Connectivity in Healthcare: A Preliminary Roadmap - This July 2004 report from Connecting For Health—a public-private collaborative designed to address the barriers to development of an interconnected health information infrastructure—details specific actions the public and private sectors can take to accelerate the adoption of information technology in healthcare. The report calls for stakeholders from across the healthcare industry to work together to build a health information infrastructure that would improve patient care, reduce medical error, and lower costs while protecting patient privacy.
|
|
|
|
|
Public Health Data Standards Consortium (PHDSC) - PHDSC is a coalition of organizations committed to the promotion of data standards for public health and for health services research through the collaboration of state, federal, and private sector organizations. The "About the Consortium" page provides downloadable presentations on the Consortium, information about data standards work groups and listservs, and contacts.
|
|
|
|
|
Public Health Data Standards Tutorial - This learning resource is provided by the Public Health Data Standards Consortium (PHDSC). It provides basic and advanced online tutorials, which introduce the types and uses of public health data, relevant data standards, the importance of using standards, and additonal training resources.
|
|
|
|
|
Public Health Information Network (PHIN) - PHIN supports a unified public health information and communications system for public health labs, the clinical community, and state and local health departments. Currently, there are many systems that support communications but they often operate in isolation and do not have the potential for data exchange. PHIN works to define data and vocabulary standards and strong collaborative relationships that will enable consistent exchange of response, health, and disease tracking between public health partners. PHIN is composed of five key components: detection and monitoring, data analysis, knowledge management, alerting, and response.
|
|
|
|
|
Rural Health IT Adoption Toolbox - The Rural Health IT Adoption Toolbox is a resource created to address the needs of rural providers in the planning and implementation of health information technology. Resources compiled for this toolbox include information from both public and private sector entities, including government agencies, academic institutions, and research organizations. This toolbox is designed for rural health providers, but is intended to inform State and Federal policy makers, insurers, and other interested stakeholders regarding the special considerations for health IT adoption in rural settings.
|
|
|
|
|
Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel - The mission of this Panel of the American National Standards Institute "is to serve as a cooperative partnership between the public and private sectors for the purpose of achieving a widely accepted and useful set of standards specifically to enable and support widespread interoperability among healthcare software applications, as they will interact in a local, regional and national health information network for the United States."
|
|
|
|
|
Informatics Survey Sites Results: Health Alert Networks - An August 2003 survey of 23 local public health agencies (LPHAs) indicates that almost all receive information through their state’s Health Alert Network (HAN). Half of the sites have a functioning local HAN, and another quarter are building a local HAN. These are among the first results from a series of surveys to be completed by the participating LPHAs, as part of the Public Health Informatics Survey Sites Program. The program is sponsored by the National Association of County and City Health Officials in partnership with the Public Health Informatics Institute.
|
|
|
|
|
Information Technology: Federal Agencies Face Challenges in Implementing Initiatives to Improve Public Health Infrastructure - The Government Accountability Office discusses the successes and challenges of the CDC’s Public Health Information Network and several initiatives of the Department of Homeland Security designed to improve information technology to protect the public’s health. This June 2005 report identifies several areas needing improvement, including reducing the duplication of efforts, developing consistent standards, and enhancing coordination with state and local agencies.
|
|
|
|
|
Interoperability: The Key to the Future Health Care System - The integration of health information technologies is necessary in order for electronic medical records to have the ability to improve the nation's healthcare system, argues David Brailer, a health information technology coordinator at HHS. This article in the January 19, 2005 issue of Health Affairs describes some of the potential benefits of developing an interoperable national health information network.
|
|
|
|
|
Knowledge Management for Public Health Officials - This primer provides an introduction to knowledge management—"an approach for addressing the information overload." The guide, which the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials released in January 2005, includes examples of how knowledge management pertains to public health and activities to help adopt such an approach.
|
|
|
|
|
Learning at the Speed of Science - Technology-Supported Learning Systems: An Overview - Presented May 15, 2003 at the Public Health Information Network Stakeholders' Conference by Dennis McDowell, Director, Division of Professional Development and Evaluation, Public Health Training Network (PHTN), CDC. This presentation provides a vision of a lifelong learning system for public health, as well as the architecture to support it. The PHTN model of a distance learning system provides a framework for learning infrastructure and evaluation.
|
|
|
|
|
Learning Data Systems: The Practice and the Promise - This PowerPoint presentation was given at the Public Health Information Network Stakeholders’ Conference on May 15, 2003, by Stacy Baker, Director of Workforce Development and Health Improvement at the Public Health Foundation. The presentation discusses the role of coordinated learning data for public health information systems and emergency preparedness. A coordinated system will offer a standards-based approach to public health information systems and ongoing performance management.
|
|
|
|
|
National Emergency and Alerting Response Systems (NEARS) Initiative - This background document describes the efforts of a coalition of emergency response organizations to develop a data messaging system that can be used nationwide to coordinate emergency response. This initiative can serve as an example of how different jurisdictions can develop an integrated system and a shared, electronic directory to quickly distribute emergency messages.
|
|
|
|
|
Public Health Conceptual Data Model (PHCDM) - This CDC document presents the Public Health Conceptual Data Model (PHCDM), which documents information needs in public health; provides a framework for organizing data standards and guidelines; and facilitates data comparability and exchange with other systems. It includes information on the model’s background; a summary of the goals and objectives for the model; a guide to understanding the data model; the graphical representation of the data model and the supporting data dictionary; and appendices including datatype definitions, a model scenario, frequently asked questions, a glossary, and a bibliography.
|
|
|
|
|
Tests to Evaluate Public Health Disease Reporting Systems in Local Public Health Agencies - This operations manual provides public health agencies with a set of standardized proficiency tests to aid in the development of regular and consistent strategies for testing the ability of public health disease reporting systems to receive and respond to case reports 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
|
|
|
|
|
The ComCARE Alliance - “This organization is a broad-based national coalition of more than 80 organizations (that includes nurses, physicians, emergency medical technicians, 9-1-1 directors, wireless companies, public safety and health officials, law enforcement groups, automobile companies, consumer organizations, telematics suppliers, safety groups, and others) who are working to encourage the deployment of life saving wireless communications networks and technologies that will more efficiently connect America's mobile public to emergency agencies.
The ComCARE Alliance promotes a comprehensive ‘end-to-end system’ to enhance public safety. This system includes initiatives aimed at preventing motor vehicle fatalities, developing ubiquitous wireless enhanced 9-1-1 systems, automatically sending a wireless emergency call with enhanced data and information to the appropriate emergency personnel following a vehicle crash, and providing more timely, appropriate responses to crashes and other emergencies.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other Resources
|
|
|
Health Information Technology in Public Health - This 2006 ASTHO Issue Brief describes how information systems in four states (Louisiana, Kentucky, Florida, and Pennsylvania) have improved public health response to both natural and man-made disasters as well as disease outbreaks. Additionally, it highlights some of the characteristics of their successes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Case Studies
|
|
|
'Pustules Proliferate in Dairyair County – A Local Public Health Response to a Smallpox Outbreak' - This case study "reveals the significance of a coordinated identification and communication system that can provide timely, authoritative, secure and meaningful communication between public health authorities, health care providers and the public." In depicting an outbreak of smallpox in a rural community, this case study highlights the dangers of rumors and misinformation and poses a series of discussion questions on how the local infrastructure could be strengthened. It was developed by participants of the Mid-America Regional Public Health Leadership Institute (MARPHLI). (Unauthorized use or publication of this case study is prohibited without written consent from MARPHLI or the Indiana State Health Department. Click here for case study use restrictions and contacts.)
|
|
|
|
|
'TB Outbreak in Tuberque County vs. Infrastructure Development of Local Health Department' - Effective data collection and statistical analysis are necessary in developing public health policy. This Mid-America Regional Public Health Leadership Institute (MARPHLI) case study highlights that point through a scenario about a health department that failed to invest sufficiently in its infrastructure for tuberculosis response. (Unauthorized use or publication of this case study is prohibited without written consent from MARPHLI or the Indiana State Health Department. Click here for case study use restrictions and contacts.)
|
|
|
|
|
'The Role of a Local Health Department in Communicating Risk and Preventing Exposure When a Drinking Water Supply is Contaminated' - The scenario presented in this Mid-America Regional Public Health Leadership Institute (MARPHLI) case study demonstrates the necessity of clear communication when responding to a public health threat. In its discussion of a hypothetical contamination of a local water source, this case study describes the role of information exchange between private industry, government agencies, and the public. (Unauthorized use or publication of this case study is prohibited without written consent from MARPHLI or the Indiana State Health Department. Click here for case study use restrictions and contacts.)
|
|
|
