Connections is a program of the Public Health Informatics Institute and is supported by the Genetic Services Branch of the Health Resources and Services Administration's Maternal and Child Health Bureau (HRSA/MCHB).

News In Brief

Connections members to visit Indiana
Connections community of practice members will visit the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) November 28 - December 1 in Indianapolis. Connections members will explore ISDH's child health information systems integration, its involvement in regional health information exchanges, and its participation in InformationLinks (a grant program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation). Participants will also hear about ISDH's project to improve lab reporting of newborn dried blood spot screening to the health department and physicians. For more information, contact jmootrey@phii.org.

Business Case users group underway
Connections has formed a users group to provide a detailed picture of the specific costs and benefits related to the integration of health information systems in Iowa, Minnesota, Tennessee, and Washington. Participants will create scenarios based on state-specific data and accurate estimates incorporated into the Business Case Model. They will also make recommendations for possible improvements to the Model and develop at least one case study. The Institute will offer introductory training on the Model December 6 - 8 at the Twelfth Annual Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology (MCH/EPI) Conference in Atlanta. For more information, contact ktorghele@phii.org at the Institute.
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Taking Care of Business book available online
Understanding the business processes of public health is the key to developing information systems that support the work of all public health agencies. A new report titled Taking Care of Business: A collaboration to define local health department business processes explains the power of collaborative business process analysis in developing effective information systems and improving performance. For more information contact Valerie Britt at vbritt@phii.org, or download the book.

Connections Feature

Benefits of integrating blood lead screening with other child health information systems
Lead poisoning prevention programs turn to technology to battle childhood's 'most preventable' health risk

Many state health departments are finding that lead screening program databases can be linked or integrated with other information systems to increase the effectiveness of finding at-risk kids, to alert providers to screening needs, and to follow up when an elevated blood lead level is detected.
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On Site With ...

Lucia Dhooge, MBA, BN, RN
Nurse Clinician / Business Analyst
Iowa Department of Public Health

Earlier this year we launched a project to explore and assess the connections and interactions among our data managers and the maternal and child health (MCH) information systems they operate throughout the Iowa Department of Public Health. With MCH epidemiologist Debbie Kane, a CDC assignee to the health department, we developed and conducted the Maternal and Child Health Data Capacity Assessment. The results of the assessment really opened our eyes. We discovered that our MCH data systems are a lot more connected than we expected.

Almost three-quarters of our databases (71 percent) already have some level of data sharing or a linking relationship with another database. Our programs are also sharing more information than we realized. People have been stepping out of their silos and working together, exchanging data in ways we weren't aware of, such as using Iowa Child Death Review Team data to prevent the Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) program correspondence from being sent to families of deceased children. In Iowa we haven't instituted a lot of formal integration policies. Our data integration has been a grassroots effort rather than a top-down mandate.

Now that we've assessed our current capabilities throughout the health department, we can focus on increasing the ability of our data workforce to further tap into the potential of our MCH-related data systems. Data managers and staff will have a better understanding of how data is used and disseminated, how to increase linkages between databases, and how to use the power of systems integration.

Assessment findings can also support and inform MCH practitioners in their policy and program development. Part of this process involves some new concepts for us, such as mapping our business process workflows and engaging in change management practices. Now that we can document some real value in systems integration, we can prove to leadership that systems integration doesn't necessarily require millions of dollars. They can now envision a more manageable, step-by-step process.

For more information
Iowa project summary
E-mail: ldhooge@idph.state.ia.us
Phone: (515) 281-7613
Web site: http://www.idph.state.ia.us/

Meeting Connections

Institute hosts Business Process Analysis workshop at PHIN conference
Following the successful presentation of its Taking Care of Business workshop on business process analysis for public health at the annual NACCHO conference in July, the Public Health Informatics Institute (Connections' parent organization) once again offered this high-level training on September 28 following the PHIN 2006 Conference in Atlanta. The workshop was attended by more than 30 participants from across the country. For more information, contact vbritt@phii.org.
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Institute to present Business Case Model introductory training at MCH/Epi Conference
You're invited to join MCH professionals December 6--8 in Atlanta for the 12th Annual Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Conference. Participants will share experiences, increase their knowledge, and explore new ideas for improved MCH data use and policymaking. As part of the conference, the Institute will offer introductory training on its Business Case Model. For more information, contact ktorghele@phii.org at the Institute.
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Reading Connections

Integration and interoperability of Immunization Information Systems
In the September 2006 issue of AIRA SnapShots, the Institute contributed an article titled Public Health Informatics Institute Launches Business Case Model for Integration of Child Health Information Systems.

Childhood vaccination coverage on the rise in the U.S.
From CDC Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report, these two MMWR articles detail: 1) vaccination coverage estimates among children 19 - 35 months; and 2) childhood influenza vaccination coverage.

Electronic Health Records
Kaiser Permanente's Experience of Implementing an Electronic Medical Record: A Qualitative Study (BMJ, Dec. 3, 2005)
The Value of Electronic Health Records in Solo or Small Group Practices
Case Study: Physicians and Patients Benefit from EHRs (The Commonwealth Fund)

About Connections
Connections -- a community of practice launched in Fall 2004 – assists state and local public health agencies to improve the health of children through the provision of accurate, timely, and comprehensive information and to strengthen the medical home.

Connections
Public Health Informatics Institute
750 Commerce Drive, Suite 400, Decatur, GA 30030
TEL: 1.866.815.9704 FAX: 1.800.765.7520
www.phii.org
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