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Recommendation 3: SECURITY to Protect Patient Data

Public health data are required by law to be reported, thereby making the public health community
stewards to sensitive personal health information. Electronic data systems present new challenges to
ensure security against hacking, misuse, or identity theft. With advances in cybersecurity threats, the
public is increasingly aware of data security and privacy issues. Public health must adapt to uphold
its reputation of protecting personal health information. If health care data security and privacy are
neglected, the public health community risks losing the public’s support despite efforts to improve their
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health—hence data moves at the speed of trust. To prevent undercutting the benefits of public health
surveillance, we should consider opportunities to establish chief privacy officers, or at a minimum add
privacy laws to the scope of practice of the public health law community. This would address privacy and
security issues within health departments. Additionally, it is necessary to educate the public on the value
of public health surveillance, offering concrete examples or stories of the public and individual benefits.

If health care data security and privacy are

neglected, the public health community risks

losing the public’s support. 23

Recommendation 4: WORKFORCE that is Prepared for the Information Age

Data and workforce are the lifeblood of public health action. A capable workforce that uses data well
ensures critical public health action to save lives. As technology advances and is incorporated into public
health practice, more, better, and faster data will enable the public health workforce to solve tough public
health problems.

Technology’s potential can only be realized if public health professionals are equipped to harness it. Thus,
a highly trained data science and informatics workforce is necessary to create, maintain, use, and update
the public health data superhighway. Not to be confused with information technology (IT) workforce,
public health informatics as defined by CDC is the systematic application of information, computer
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science, and technology to public health practice, research, and learning. Funding for specific education,
fellowships, and training in data science and informatics are required to develop this unique category of
the public health workforce.

Currently, public health departments struggle to recruit data scientists and informaticians because they
are often lured away by higher-paying jobs in the private sector. These personnel are often shared across
many programs and divisions, which can be limiting during public health emergency or outbreaks. Fresh
approaches such as increased salary caps to recruit and retain staff, professional development, succession
planning, post-graduate fellowships, and on-the-job training are required to build the public health
informatics workforce of the future.

23 Report Details Public’s Hopes, Fears About Using Data to Improve Health. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/articles-and-news/2015/04/report-highlights-publics-
hopes-fears-about-using-data-to-improve-health.html. Published April 2, 2015. Accessed May 10, 2019.
24 Introduction to Public Health Informatics. cdc.gov. https://www.cdc.gov/publichealth101/informatics.html. Updated November 15, 2018. Accessed May 10, 2019.

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