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Charting a course for an equity-centered data system: recommendations from the National Commission to Transform Public Health Data Systems
Charting a course for an equity-centered data system: recommendations from the National Commission to Transform Public Health Data Systems
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Contributor(s):
- Christopher, Gail C., editor
Zimmerman, Emily, editor
Chandra, Anita, editor
Martin, Laurie T. (Laurie Thayer), 1974- editor
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, issuing body. - Publication:
- [Princeton, New Jersey] : Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, October 2021
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- Data Systems
Health Equity
Public Health
United States - Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- In our current data system, data on health inequities are decontextualized from history and the experiences of race, intersectionality, and place that impact health. Although current systems report on health status and disparities, data can perpetuate health inequities when they lack appropriate context for understanding the root causes of those inequities. We need compelling, inclusive information to help drive critically needed actions and policies. The National Commission to Transform Public Health Data Systems addressed these issues and challenges during its recent deliberations. Convened by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the 16-member Commission was charged with reimagining how data are collected, shared, and used, and identifying the public- and private-sector investments needed to modernize our public health data infrastructure and improve health equity. This report summarizes the recommendations that emerged from the Commission’s deliberations. The report is organized in the following sections. Part 1 of the report presents the Commission’s recommendations, organized into three major themes. The first theme, Health Equity and Well-Being Narrative Change, includes recommendations that emphasize the importance of centering public health as the nation’s pathway to better health and well-being. These recommendations focus on building support among a broad array of stakeholders for a new public health data system that advances health equity, creating the messaging needed to promote the role of data in this process, preparing stakeholders and the workforce to achieve this change, and beginning to create new systems and infrastructure. The second theme, Equitable Governance, Systems, and Community Engagement, focuses on the data stewardship, technology, and partnerships needed to transform the system. This section addresses the regulatory, technical, and collaborative work that must be done to create a data system with the breadth, capacity, and specificity needed to understand what drives health and to promote evidence-based decision making. The Measuring and Addressing the Health Impact of Structural Racism and Other Inequities theme addresses the changes needed to redress contemporary and historic health effects of racism and other systemic barriers to opportunity for diverse groups. This section focuses on relationship-building and the types of data needed to transform the system. Part 1 also includes an Introduction that describes the urgency of these changes, the current landscape, and the opportunities for transformation. Part 2 of the report describes the steps taken and knowledge gained in preparation for the Commission process. RWJF commissioned the RAND Corporation to produce a series of white papers that anchored this process by describing the current landscape, emerging innovations, and the opportunities for transforming and transitioning to a new public health data system. The papers were informed by an environmental literature scan, review of reports on public health data transformation, and stakeholder interviews. In addition, the papers included insights from 20 organizations that received RWJF grants for innovative work related to data equity and data systems integration. The formative work also included focused discussions with five expert panels on population-specific data gaps (American Indians/Alaska Natives, Blacks/African Americans, LGBTQ+ communities, people living with disabilities, and women). The section goes on to describe the formation of the Commission, the adaptation of the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) framework used during the Commission’s deliberations, and the Commission’s work to create a new vision for transforming the public health data system and its recommendations for achieving that vision. Part 3 presents a call to action for various sectors and stakeholders, including federal, state, and local governments, and businesses, health systems, nonprofits, schools, associations, and philanthropy. This section provides a preliminary blueprint of when, how, and by whom actions can be taken to implement and advance and build on these recommendations.
- Copyright:
- Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY license. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (51 pages))
- Illustrations:
- Illustrations
- NLM Unique ID:
- 9918522483706676 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918522483706676