An approach to efficient data mining via database on monitoring data sources: An example in a community health and research setting

Introduction/Objective: It is inevitable that the arena of health care is data-driven. Data from a variety of sources are crucial for community health planning, research, and grant application. There are profuse sources of data available, albeit finding accurate, appropriate, up-to-date sources can be challenging for researchers, planners, and program managers. Designing a database to manage data sources to enhance the planning and decision-making process among the stakeholders is the main objective of this project. Methods: Literature search was performed to gather information on data needs. Faculty interviews were conducted to determine the type of data needs for their area of research and program focuses. The data indicators were categorized into different topics for easy access, then a web-based search and interviews with data experts were performed to find the best possible sources. A database in an Excel format was developed to compile detailed information on the sources found. Where data sources covered multiple topics, the source was re-entered for efficient use. Results: The outcome of this project is a sustainable database system to monitor diverse data sources for prompt mining of required epidemiologic data to support efficient planning, research, and program development. This database is focused on sources of child health data, which will be constantly updated to capture the most effective and current data sources. Its efficacy and user-friendliness will be evaluated via faculty interviews and query formation on a specific topic. The database will be established as a powerful tool in public health planning.