268317 Putting dashboard data into action: MaineHealth's Health Index Initiative

Monday, October 29, 2012 : 11:15 AM - 11:30 AM

Deborah Deatrick, MPH , Community Health Improvement, MaineHealth, Portland, ME
Timothy Cowan, MSPH , Health Index Initiative, MaineHealth, Portland, ME
Andrew Coburn, PhD , Muskie School, University of Southern Maine, Portland, ME
     
Background: Measures of population health are gaining new prominence as the result of national health care reform and the move to accountable care. MaineHealth developed an innovative tool called the Health Index to annually assess and track key population health indicators that builds on two nationally recognized frameworks for assessing health status: America's Health Rankings and the County Health Rankings.

Objective/Purpose: The Index produces actionable data to improve health status. The principal objective is to create a widely accepted, credible, science-based tool to inform the development and implementation of strategic initiatives to improve outcomes among six priority measures and to influence the allocation of funding and other resources to achieve large scale population health improvements.

Methods: An expert advisory committee reviewed national and international examples of rating, ranking, scorecard, and dashboard systems. The committee selected America's Health Rankings as the template for the Index based on its social determinants of health conceptual framework, science-based approach, and longevity and then selected by consensus six priority outcomes and a set of long term, intermediate, and process measures. Index staff use multiple HITs to construct a comprehensive dashboard of health status indicators that is widely disseminated.

Results: The Index has resulted in the realignment of the health system's population health strategies, e.g., an expansion of cancer prevention services to underserved populations and has influenced the work of external partners. MaineHealth's annual Health Index Report is published annually to coincide with the release of America's Health Rankings, which has documented a steady improvement in the state's overall ranking from #19 in 1990 to #8 in 2011.

Discussion/Conclusion: MaineHealth's Health Index has demonstrated its value as a tool to reach consensus about the key influencers of health status, and the measures, metrics, and visual display of data that are critical to translating information into action.

Learning Areas:
Epidemiology
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
1. Participants will be able to describe the importance of population health metrics to achieving “accountable care” for all, including disparate populations. 2. Participants will be able to identify and differentiate among the data elements and methodologies used by America’s Health Rankings, the County Health Rankings and MaineHealth’s Health Index. 3. Participants will be able to identify diverse types of health information technologies that are used to construct and implement the Health Index.

Keywords: Health Indices, Community Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to be an abstract author on the content I am responsible for because I was principally responsible for designing the Health Index project that is being reported on and continue to oversee its implementation.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3139.0: Using Dashboards to Improve Consumer and Population Health