Creating a common understanding of public health informatics requirements

As new public health information systems are being conceptualized and existing systems are being reengineered for interoperability, public health informatics requirements for ensuring productivity and effectiveness should be based on a common understanding of the needs and realities of public health practice. Systems should be developed with established protocols including system integrity, timeliness of information sharing, and appropriate safeguards as priorities, and with participation from all levels of governmental public health and other users from the outset. This session will examine the consensus-building efforts that have taken place to date that address the key elements in the development of a shared public health informatics agenda. Participants will be asked to provide feedback on the established priorities and identify methods that will advance the adoption of these priorities at all levels of public health practice. A unified approach to addressing the informatics needs across the broader public health enterprise will lead to a cohesive methodology resulting in efficient and successful information systems.