SAB NewsHealth System WoesPosted 5/17/2004 When polled about which part of the health system suffers the most from lost data, poor documentation, and/or lack of access to available knowledge, 31% of the 1,404 respondents to a Science Advisory Board Instant Poll stated public health. Research and health care delivery came in second and third at 25% and 24%, respectively. Personal health management was ranked fourth at 20%. While many state and local health departments collect vast amounts of data, they often suffer from their inability to produce results-oriented information. This lack of results can be attributed to multiple factors including incomplete data collection, missing information, and inaccurate reporting. Unfortunately, these obstacles—compounded by funding and staffing shortages—interfere with the ability of public health officials to demonstrate the real cost benefits of public health efforts as documented in lives saved or quality of life improved. “The most significant offset to funding and staffing shortages in public health will be technology,” predicts Tamara Zemlo, Ph.D., MPH, Director of The Science Advisory Board. |
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