Page 42 - Driving Public Health in the Fast Lane

Recommendations

Changing from the Slow Lane to the Fast Lane

With advancements in IT and the proliferation of computer-based record keeping over the past few
decades, the barriers to building an interoperable public health data superhighway are not driven by
a lack of data or insufficient technology. The public health data superhighway does not necessitate
originating new data, but instead requires adequate resources to access timely, quality data from multiple
existing sources utilizing modern technology and analytical methods. The recommendations below offer
principles that policymakers and stakeholders must consider to successfully build an interoperable public
health data superhighway.

Recommendation 1: ENTERPRISE Approach to Data Systems Modernization

Progress to move individual disease-specific surveillance systems to electronic exchange is helpful, but
improvements have been isolated in siloed systems, and may only address one specific component of
the data exchange process. Segregated systems create redundant infrastructure and huge inefficiencies,
wasting resources in a field that is already underfunded. Public health must take an enterprise approach
to improve public health surveillance, rather than relying on the traditional program-specific approach.
The public health community and health care providers should agree to utilize a common core data
infrastructure. Public health leadership and policymakers should also create new and sustained funding
opportunities to support the development and maintenance of the core public health data superhighway.

A transformative, enterprise approach of this magnitude will
require a commensurate level of investment. Substantial, The public health data
predictable, and sustainable federal funding over time superhighway does not
would allow CDC, state, territorial, local, and tribal health necessitate originating new
departments to move from siloed, sluggish, manual, paper- data, but requires adequate
based data collection to seamless, automated, interoperable,
and secure data systems that yield critical health information in resources to access timely,
real time. This funding would also support efforts to continually quality data from multiple
modernize both these data systems as technology evolves existing sources utilizing
over time, and develop the public health workforce by training, modern technology and
recruiting (e.g., student loan repayment and fellowships), and analytical methods.
retaining skilled data scientists.

This enterprise approach to data modernization is new, but the core surveillance systems themselves
are not. The data systems that feed this public health information superhighway already exist, have
demonstrated value, and are used to varying degrees in all state and local public health departments.
It is critical to bring all jurisdictions online with these systems and modernize receiving, sharing, and
connecting data that exists in silos. In addition, CDC needs its own secure data platform to receive data
electronically from the states through NNDSS. While this may seem like a daunting shift, efforts made
today are a down payment towards the health of future generations.

Changing from the Slow Lane to the Fast Lane 42