Nearly five years after the COVID-19 pandemic first shined a spotlight on the serious challenges that jurisdictions throughout the U.S. face in reporting timely, accurate public health data, there remains significant room for improvement.
Nearly five years after the COVID-19 pandemic first shined a spotlight on the serious challenges that jurisdictions throughout the U.S. face in reporting timely, accurate public health data, there remains significant room for improvement.
A first-of-its-kind nationwide assessment of public health data reporting policies and practices from The Pew Charitable Trusts provides details on how data is—and is not—being shared with public health agencies within states and throughout the country.
Can you guess what the report found? Answer the questions below to find out.
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Public health data can be used to do which of the following?
- Identify health inequities
- Allocate funds and workforce more effectively
- Detect and investigate health threats
- All of the above
- None of the above
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Explanation: Just as doctors need data to diagnose and treat their patients, public health agencies rely on data to measure and improve the well-being of their communities.
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Data on individual patient cases of disease is still commonly reported to public health departments via phone, fax, and mail.
- True
- False
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Explanation: A sizable proportion of case data is still reported via manual processes such as by fax, phone, and mail, which creates administrative work, introduces human errors, and slows the analysis and use of information. Automated electronic case reports can improve the timeliness and accuracy of the data that public health agencies need to detect and prevent diseases effectively.
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What year did physicians first systematically report diseases in the United States?
- 1789
- 1874
- 1918
- 1974
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Explanation: In 1874, physicians mailed postcards to report diseases in the United States. Since then, doctors, hospitals, labs, and other health care providers have used telegrams, telephones, and fax machines to report data. Today, labs use automated digital systems widely, providing lessons and inspiration for the future of case reporting by providers, which still relies heavily on fax and phone. (Source:
CDC )
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By some estimates, every dollar spent on public health yields about how much in health care savings?
- $5
- $14
- $11
- $3
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Explanation: The answer is about $14 in health care savings—not to mention the incalculable benefits for people who stay well. By dedicating time and resources to modernize their public health data infrastructure, states can design informed, effective, and equitable interventions that bolster public health’s already significant return on investment. (
Source )
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What challenges to data modernization did officials identify?
- Staffing shortages
- Outdated IT infrastructure
- Inadequate funding
- All of the above
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Explanation: State public health officials commonly cited each of these challenges as barriers to investing in modern IT systems and expert staff to collect, analyze, and use electronic data.
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An evaluation of policies in all U.S. states and Washington, D.C., found that ___ jurisdictions require automated electronic case reporting.
- 0
- 17
- 25
- 51
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Explanation: Although every state requires health care providers to notify public health agencies about infectious diseases, environmental illnesses, and other threats via case reports, automatic electronic case reporting—the transmission of reportable data from electronic health records to public health agencies—is not required in any statute or regulation in any of the 50 states or in D.C.
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What is syndromic surveillance?
- An early-warning system that uses reports of symptoms and syndromes to detect, identify, and track health threats
- Individualized patient data generated by a doctor and submitted to a public health agency
- The use of technology by a doctor to send clinical data to state, Tribal, local, territorial, or federal public health agencies
- The method through which NASA tracks the lifespan of a star
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Explanation: Syndromic surveillance is often anonymous, derived from de-identified data captured primarily from emergency departments. This data includes patients’ chief complaints, such as shortness of breath or vomiting, and diagnosis codes. The system is designed for speed, enabling officials to perform real-time monitoring of known health threats and to detect emerging threats earlier than they can with confirmed case and lab reports.
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In addition to health care providers, laboratories, and hospitals, which of the following are required to report public health data by some jurisdictions?
- Schools and school officials
- Coroners
- Food and beverage handlers
- Any persons with knowledge of disease
- All of the above
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Explanation: All of these people and positions are among those required to report public health data. However, states vary in how they specify these reporter requirements. For example, states may include paramedics, emergency medical personnel, and medical examiners within their definition of healthcare providers or list those entities separately. Some states may require groups such as food or beverage establishments to report foodborne outbreaks specifically, while other states may require those same groups to report a broader set of illnesses.
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Congratulations—you’re an expert on public health data reporting and practices. For further analysis, read the full report .
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