Harmonizing Federal and State Surveys into National System of Population Health Statistics

A profusion of data collection at the local and state levels (and national level) could lead to confusion in like estimates derived from different data sources. This discussion will focus on issues in building a coordinated national health data system that will support decision making at all levels. Under a coordinated system decision makers would be able to drill down to derive measures of health not only at the national level, but at state and local levels -- and do so in a consistent manner to enable results to be compared. Comparison is crucial to understanding the factors that influence health status and producing clues as to how to intervene to maintain or improve health. Surveys will be an important part of the system. But there are other data sources as well that will need to be integral components of the data system. For example, vital statistics provides essentially complete information on births, newborns and prenatal care. Cause of death data along with location and associated demographic data are some of the major measures of health in any country. Administrative records and the adoption of electronic health records (including personal health records) will also play a pivotal role in informing us about the health of communities. Integrating these data sources and collection modes will be a challenge. Data standards and training including training analysts who can link surveillance with health services research and decision analysis will be crucial in bringing data to bear on improving health and reducing disparities.