Public Health Informatics

Public Health Informatics was defined by in a paper published in 2000 by Yasnoff as “the systematic application of information and computer science and technology to public health practice, research and learning.” He also defined four principles on which public health informatics should be followed as a discipline. They are:

• focus on the information science and technology applications that promote the health of populations.
• focus on the information science and technology applications that prevent disease and injury by altering the conditions or environment that put populations at risk.
• explore the potential vulnerable points in the causal chains leading to disease, injury or disability and not to restricted to particular social, behavioral or environmental context.
• reflect the governmental context in which public health is practiced.

Introduction

The changing practice and importance of the population-based perspective of public health, wellness, and prevention is resulting in the need to enhance information technology applications in public health.

In the current public health environment, a knowledgeable and skilled work-force is needed to support emerging data sharing and communications initiatives designed to improve public health programs, modernize health care, and increase the utility of public health data by linking disparate information systems. The public health workforce includes clinicians, technicians, nurses, epidemiologists, researchers, managers and supervisors, outbreak investigators, health educators, social workers, case workers, health officers, and environmental health specialists.

There are several current initiatives regarding Public Health Informatics. These include: the Public Health Informatics Fellowships, the Public Health Information Network (PHIN), Centers of Excellence in Public Health Informatics, and the Centers for Public Health Preparedness. And there is an array of prior work and research that has depicted public health needs for informatics training. information technology to public health. However this training has been developed in relative isolation, with no consensus as to the specific informatics competencies public health professionals ought to have. To address this issue, a working group of public health informaticians and educators was formed to draft this consensus set of public health informatics competencies. See: http://www.nwcphp.org/resources/key-public-health-competency-sets-and-resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s National Center for Public Health Informatics (NCPHI), located within the Coordinating Center for Health Information and Service (CoCHIS) provides leadership in the application of information and computer science and technology to public health practice, research, and learning. (See http://www.cdc.gov/ncphi/.) The Centers of Excellence in Public Health Informatics include two Centers funded in FY05 at Harvard Medical School (including the Children's Hospital of Boston) and University of Washington and three Centers funded in FY06 at the University of Utah, Johns Hopkins University, and the New York City Health Department.

The CDC Public Health Information Network (PHIN) is a national initiative to improve the capacity of public health to use and exchange information electronically by promoting the use of standards, defining functional and technical requirements. PHIN strives to improve public health by enhancing research and practice through best practices related to efficient, effective, and interoperable public health information systems. See: http://www.cdc.gov/phin/about.html

CDC’s role in PHIN is:

• Supporting the exchange of critical health information between all levels of public health and healthcare,
• Developing and promulgating requirements, standards, specifications, and an overall architecture in a collaborative, transparent, and dynamic way,
• Monitoring the capability of state and local health departments to exchange information,
• Advancing supportive policy,
• Providing technical assistance to allow state and local health departments to be full and facilitating a network of active, engaged participants active PHIN participants, and
• Facilitating communication and information sharing within the PHIN community.

Selected Organizations Related to Public Health

Association	Mission/Constituency
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)	represents the state and territorial public health agencies of the United States, the U.S. Territories, and the District of Columbia. members are the chief health officials of these jurisdictions
American Public Health Association (APHA)	represents a broad array of health officials, educators, environmentalists, policy-makers and health providers at all levels working both within and outside governmental organizations and educational institutions
Council on Education for Public Health	is an independent agency recognized by the US Department of Education to accredit schools of public health and certain public health programs offered in settings other than schools of public health.
National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC)	represents the nation’s network of over 1,000 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC)	represents the nation’s network of over 1,000 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)

Association of Public Health Laboratories (ASTPHLD)

www.aphl.org/ Membership includes state and local public health laboratories, environmental laboratories and others that conduct testing of public health significance.

Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) Association

over 1050 public health epidemiologists working in states, local health agencies, and territories.

Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH)

www.asph.org National organization representing the deans, faculty and students of the accredited member schools of public health and other programs seeking accreditation as schools of public health.

National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems (NAPHSIS)

National association of state vital records and public health statistics offices. The mission is to provide national leadership and advocacy on behalf of its members to ensure the quality, security, confidentiality and utility of vital records and health statistics, as well as their integral role within health information systems, for monitoring and improving public health.

Public Health Informatics Institute

http://www.phii.org/about/

The Institute brings public health professionals together so that they can learn from each other and share best practices. Through a collaborative approach, we facilitate requirements public health information systems.

Association of State and Territorial Local Health Liaison Officials (ASTLHLO)

/www.astlhlo.org/

Comprised of representatives from each state and territory having the responsibility of overseeing and providing support to local health agencies.

National Association of County And City Health Officials (NACCHO)

www.naccho.org/ National organization representing local health departments.

National Association for Public Health Information Technology (NAPHIT)

National non-profit organization that provides leaders in public health information technology (IT) with a venue to exchange ideas and experiences, discuss and shape current public health information policy, and learn about tools and technologies that help them better support public health.

National Association of Local Boards of Health

www.nalboh.org/ Represent the grassroots foundation of public health in America, actively engaging and serving the public by empowering boards of health through education and training. NALBOH will continue to expand its influence.

National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO)

www.nascio.org/ Represents state chief information officers and information technology executives and managers from the 50 states, six U. S. territories, and the District of Columbia. State members are senior officials from any of the three branches of state government who have executive-level and statewide responsibility for information technology management.

Public Health Data Standards Consortium (PHDSC)

http://www.phdsc.org/ a non-profit membership-based organization of federal, state and local health agencies; national and local professional associations; academia, public and private sector organizations; international members, and individuals. Their goal is to empower the agents of health and healthcare with public health information standards to improve individual and community health.

Journals

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) has prepared a bibliography of articles related to public health informatics. During the time period January 1996 through December 2000 they have 441 Citations. See: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/archive//20061214/pubs/cbm/phi2001.html

• OJPHI Online Journal of Public Health Informatics

Populations served by Public Health Informatic Programs

• Health IT in Prisons & Jails