Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #120699

Taha A. Kass-Hout, MD MS¹, Jay V. Schindler, MPH PhD¹, and John Page, BS². (1) Public Health Division, Northrop Grumman Corporation, 3375 NE Expressway, Koger Center/Harvard Building, Atlanta, GA 30341, 6785303568, TKassHout@cdc.gov, (2) Health Solutions, Northrop Grumman Corporation, 8110 Gatehouse Drive, Falls Church, VA 22042

Currently, local public health systems (LPHS) are challenged with balancing traditional public health service delivery with national initiatives to promote public health informatics principles (e.g., Public Health Information Network [PHIN], Regional Health Information Organizations [RHIO], and Public Health Data Sharing Consortium [PHDSC]). As local public health practitioners begin to apply these informatics principles, there are opportunities to reassess how LPHS conduct business. Are we maximizing involvement of LPHS components and how can we improve the availability, value and use of population-based data? How have technologic advances promoted broader community participation in these activities? Some essential public health practices may undergo radical change if local public health practitioners develop a more meaningful vision for informatics as a public health tool. Examples of this vision include methods to more effectively monitor population health and/or delivery of care for specific groups (e.g., race or disease). While the national initiatives continue to evolve, local public health officials need to recognize this opportunity, create a meaningful and achievable agenda and work toward an information technology portfolio that supports and is consistent with national goals.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the need for using data and information visualization during a public health crisis.
• Explain the multilayer approach to communication using a real-time visualization and collaboration tool.

Keywords: Public Health Informatics, Health Information Systems

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.