public health data

See the following -

Apervita Creates Health Analytics for the Millions

Andy Oram | EMR & EHR | January 9, 2015

I have often advocated for better integration of analytics into everyday medical practice, and I found a company called Apervita (originally named Pervasive Health) that jumps off in the right direction.

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Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense Issues Call For a National Public Health Data System

In April 2022 the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense released a new report titled The Athena Agenda: Advancing the Apollo Program for Biodefense. Established in 2014, the privately-funded commission convenes periodically and conducts research to assess the state of US biodefense efforts and to make recommendations for change and improvement. Spurred by the events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, this report challenges the country to prepare itself for future pandemics by establishing aggressive goals, gathering our “best and brightest” talent, developing action-oriented plans, and funding their accomplishment as the “next Apollo Program.”

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CDC Stands Up New Disease Forecasting Center - To Use Open Source Software and APIs to Expand Data Interoperability

Press Release | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) | August 18, 2021

Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is announcing a new center designed to advance the use of forecasting and outbreak analytics in public health decision making. Once established, the Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics will bring together next-generation public health data, expert disease modelers, public health emergency responders, and high-quality communications, to meet the needs of decision makers.  The new center will accelerate access to and use of data for public health decision-makers who need information to mitigate the effects of disease threats, such as social and economic disruption.

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Former ONC Leaders Cite Challenges in Maximizing EHR Benefits

Joseph Goedert | Health Data Management | September 12, 2017

Four former national coordinators for health information technology have penned a perspective on achievements made in using electronic health records under the HITECH Act and where providers and the HIT industry still must go to continue past progress. The law spurred rapid progress toward digitizing the industry, which now is at an inflection point, say the authors, who include Vindell Washington, MD, Karen DeSalvo, MD, Farzad Mostashari, MD, and David Blumenthal, MD. EHRs have primed the industry to now achieve several positive results, including improving clinical guidelines, and sharing patient data seamlessly and securely...

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HHS announces the availability of $195 million to expand substance abuse and mental health services at health centers nationwide

Press Release | HHS | June 26, 2017

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the availability of $195 million in a new funding opportunity for community health centers to expand access to mental health and substance abuse services focusing on the treatment, prevention and awareness of opioid abuse in all U.S. states, territories and the District of Columbia. The awards are expected to be made in September of this year. Health centers that receive an award will use the funds to increase the number of personnel dedicated to mental health and substance abuse services and to leverage health information technology and training to support the expansion of mental health and substance abuse services and their integration into primary care.

Pitt Unlocks Trove Of Public Health Data To Help Fight Deadly Contagious Diseases

Editor | RedOrbit | November 29, 2013

In an unprecedented windfall for public access to health data, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health researchers have collected and digitized all weekly surveillance reports for reportable diseases in the United States going back more than 125 years. Read More »

Some Barriers and Challenges to the CDC's Data Modernization Initiative

As we have discussed in earlier posts, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched a Data Modernization Initiative (DMI) focused on improving the data management capacity of public health in the United States. The major focus of this initiative is on investments in both people as well as systems and data to improve public health response. Though Congress has appropriated a significant amount of funding for Federal and state, territorial, local, and tribal (STLT) public health agencies, there are some sizable barriers and challenges to seeing the vision for DMI come to fruition:

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The ONC 10 Year Vision

On June 5th 2014, ONC released  “Connecting Health and Care for the Nation: a 10-Year Vision to Achieve an Interoperable Health IT Infrastructure." The plan is divided in 3 year goals, 6 year goals, and 10 year goals. Five specific tactics support the strategies. Below is a summary of the report and a few comments from my Massachusetts experience that support the reasonableness of the ONC goals.

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Vivametrica Unveils Open Source Healthcare Analytics Platform For Wearables

Charles McLellan | ZD Net | September 16, 2014

A Canadian startup founded by medical professionals plans to offer personal health assessments based on wearable sensor data and public health data sets...

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Wireless Access for Health Project and Open Source HIS to Expand to All Tarlac Health Clinics in the Philippines

Press Release | Qualcomm Incorporated | May 23, 2012

Tarlac to Become the First Philippine Province to Use 3G Technology and a Modern [Open Source] Health Information System to Enable More Responsive Health Care for an Entire Province
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