To improve access to federal, state and local health data that can bolster infectious disease intelligence and public health preparedness, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) has proposed a Center for Public Health Data.
The new agency would aggregate electronic data from public health agencies as well as laboratories, clinics and hospitals and make it accessible in real time so it can be used for decision-making as health threats unfold…
CPHD would make de-identified data available to all levels of government, hospitals, researchers and the public through an online platform within 24 hours of collection. This single stream of infectious disease health data would streamline “the fragmented and duplicative data management efforts that exist across HHS,” the release said…
“A comprehensive database with this data in real-time from across the United States [will] make infectious diseases spreading in communities visible,” said Dr. Deborah L. Birx, a senior fellow at the George W. Bush Institute and former White House coronavirus response coordinator. “The united single source national database bringing together the private and public sector will transform our ability to respond with an integrated, cost effective whole-of-government support, and bring us into the twenty-first century, ensuring we all survive and thrive the current and future threats.”… Read the full article here.
