Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched its updated Public Health data Strategy for 2024-2025 and a companion 2023 Lookback Report. Launched initially in 2023,the strategy details the data,technology,policy,and administrative actions needed to address data exchange challenges between healthcare organizations and public health authorities,and between state,tribal,local,territorial,and federal public health authorities. Seamless data sharing ensures the nation can rapidly detect and respond to new threats.
The strategy advances the priorities of the CDC’s Data Modernization Initiative (DMI) with concrete, measurable steps. Accomplishments in 2023 better positioned the nation to detect and respond to health threats in near real-time, and to inform the public by better connecting public health to healthcare data systems and streamlining tools.
“We need a modernized public health data infrastructure seamlessly connected to the healthcare data and details technology ecosystem to effectively protect the health of communities across the country,” said CDC Director Mandy Cohen, M.D., M.P.H. “Data are essential for our ability to detect and respond to health threats. Early detection and monitoring rely on timely data so we can investigate and respond effectively.”
Faster Sharing of Data to Make Faster Decisions: A key achievement in 2023 is the increase in healthcare facilities implementing electronic case reporting. Electronic case reporting,or eCR,quickly and securely moves data from healthcare facilities to state,tribal,local,and territorial public health agencies for actionable threats. More than 36,000 healthcare facilities can now send electronic case reports.