Advancing Informatics Policy and Practice: A State Perspective

Modern public health practice at a state health department is complex, evolving to meet both long-standing and emerging needs, dependent upon collaboration with an increasing number of partners, and deeply reliant on timely, high quality information. This requires modern information systems that are interoperable, standards-based, user-centered and flexible, while meeting high standards for confidentiality and security. Unfortunately, most health department information systems are built upon aging underlying technologies that are increasingly expensive and technically challenging to enhance and maintain. Having a bold vision, defining a roadmap for building information capabilities, training the workforce in informatics, and modernizing information systems are among the major informatics challenges in state health departments today. The informatics-savvy health department framework is a useful tool to help state health departments achieve such information-related goals. This chapter describes the informatics-savvy framework and illustrates how it can be used to support a state health department to more effectively meet its public health mission and goals.