HHS Launches Data Resource for Health IT Developers

HHS has opened a Web portal allowing access to health data as a resource for developers of innovative health information technologies. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a news release that the Health Indicators Warehouse “provides a new public resource needed to fuel development of innovative information technology applications” that will improve healthcare. 

In the same release, HHS Chief Technology Officer Todd Park said, “We recognize that one of the keys to better health and healthcare is data-driven decisionmaking at all levels and the HHS warehouse lowers the barrier for development of technologies to achieve this goal.”

The warehouse currently contains nearly 1,200 health indicators obtained from 170 data sources, including indicators relating to disease prevalence; health risk factors; life expectancy and mortality; healthcare accessibility; quality and cost—all available by geographic area or political jurisdiction.

HHS expects to provide “additional activities and projects to promote innovative uses of data and apps development to improve health and healthcare performance at the community level,” according to the release.