INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND PUBLIC HEALTH

Information Systems and Public Health

Maggie Richards
Eastern Connecticut State University

INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND PUBLIC HEALTH

Information Systems and Public Health
Frequently, we wonder what an information system is and how it helps us. Information Systems
are an arrangement of technology database designated to construct of five different processes.
Their job is to take, collect, and process, convert, and make useful data that can be analyzed
(Leonard, Valacich, 2008). The data results must then be reported daily to keep the databases up
to date. There are five different components that OBrien (2003) reported it consists of
software, hardware, data, procedures, and people.
Department of Public Health was established in 1878. Public health associates must be able to
identify and respond to potential health hazards in the environment by harmful substance. There
are many issues with Public Health that are continuously being studied. One example is
Diabetes. Diabetes is a disease where the consumers body doesnt produce the proper amount
of insulin in which they need. It then causes the consumer to produce high levels of blood sugar.
Insulin is a hormone in the human body that collects sugar from food to inject it into the cells.
Without these hormones the sugar then just sits in the blood flow instead of injecting into the
cells which then produces the high level of blood sugars. The Public Health Department is
constantly trying to keeps updates for the community of what these diseases are and why they
happen. They must establish and implement framework for Public Health Information Systems.
The job of the Public Health Department is to promote good health, prevent health disease, and
insist in a healthy environment.
Public Health Information Network is designed to allow consistent discussion of health data,
secure and protect health data altercation, and make the network available at all times. Public
Health Information Network must provide a continuous access to the site about health care

INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND PUBLIC HEALTH

information. This helps to allow communities to follow the data of implement breakouts of
diseases around.
Public Health Information Systems collect measureable data that follows with the descriptions of
health status and mortality of certain populations over time, analysis of causation of health
problems, and the risk and protective factors (Abouzahar, 2005).
Public Health Information Network must partner up with some huge health associations. Their
partnerships include The National Association of County and City Health Officials, and the
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. It is big that these associations are able to
detect a problem, manage an outbreak, link with laboratory services, and alert communities.
Information systems have allowed Health Information Exchanges that help to provide significant
procedures for certified systems that connect health care providers and public health agencies.
Health information exchanges are also looking to develop an ability for near real-time public
health surveillance such as for disease surveillance and real tracking of patients physical
location during disastrous events and emergencies (Wu, 2014).
In order to improve the public health information systems a common ground program was done.
From May 2006 to January 2013, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation granted fifteen agencies
a thirty thousand dollars to analyze how public health problems were processed within their
businesses (Hannay, 2013). Not only where they granted the money but they were responsible
for coming up with a plan for future information management needs. The Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation then granted another sixteen six hundred thousand dollar grants, which were for
development projects to define requirements of information systems that focused in on
preparedness of public health and prevention and control of chronic disease (Hannay, 2013).

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In order for this to happen another grant took place to have the public health agencies receive
providers electronic data that was submitted (Hannay, 2013). The overall result of the entire
program led to performance improvement along with their system information capacity by
applying Collaborate Requirements Development Methodology in 31 local and state public
health agencies (Hannay, 2013).
To inform citizens of these outbreaks and important facts the Department of Public Health uses
applications that allow them to do that. Some of these applications according the Connecticut
Department of Public Health are Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, text alerts, blogs, and websites.
The Department of Public Health strives to introduce new technologies that allows them to stay
caught up with updates. Its important that this information is effective and efficient to help
improve organization of information systems. The evolving field is looking for ways to
combined multiple sources of complex data and information. Having public health information
systems helps to spread data throughout the world.
In 2012 Savel and Foldy stated that Health Information Systems were looking to expand and
promote health information technology in 2014. Hospitals would have economic inventive to
transmit reportable lab results to public health agencies electronically, electronic laboratory
reporting.

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References
Thomas G. Savel. M.D., Seth Foldy. M.D. (Jul 27, 2014) Public Health Surveillance and
Informatics Retrieved on October 1, 2014
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/su6103a5.htm?s_cid=su6103a5_x

OBrien, JA (2003) Introduction to Information Systems: Essential for E-Business enterprise

McGraw-Hill., Boston, MA Retrieved on October 1, 2014
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_system

Jessup, Leonard M.; Joseph S. Valacich (2008) Information Systems Today (3rd edition) Pearson
Publishing (P.416)

Hannay J (August 6, 2013) Common Ground: Transforming Public Health Systems Retrieved on
October 1, 2014
http://www.rwjf.org/en/research-publications/find-rwjf-research/2012/10/common-ground-transforming-public-health-information-systems.html

Carla Abouzahr, Ties Boerma. (2005) Health Information Systems: foundations of public health
Retrieved on October 1, 2014
http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/83/8/578.pdf