Moderator
Ronald Bialek, M.P.P., Public Health Foundation
Panelists
Rosalind Thomas, M.P.H., New York Department of Health
Gwendolyn Doebbert, California Department of Health Services
William Halvorson, M.B.A., MCCNE, Pacific Bell
STATEMENT OF THE SUBJECT
There are dynamic changes occurring in the health care and public health systems. As these systems continue to evolve and as individual consumer and community public health issues become increasingly complex, there is an ever expanding need for public health to more effectively utilize information technologies for conveying accurate and useable information quickly and concisely. In addition, strategies are necessary for incorporating current and emerging technologies into the public health information infrastructure to improve information collection, analysis, and dissemination.
KEY ISSUES, INCLUDING THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY
With the continual expansion and improvement of the information highway, how can public health most effectively utilize this technology for the purposes of improving community health? Use of this technology has been demonstrated to be effective in targeting and reaching large numbers of people. However, many of our Nation’s public health agencies still lack access to these technologies. There may be enormous benefits to developing partnerships with and learning from the private sector. The private sector also can learn from the experts in the public sector, who have years of experience in reaching out to communities and in designing programs that improve the public’s health.
As information technologies take on increasing importance in the design and implementation of public health interventions, there is a need to evaluate the use of these technologies. "Best practices" need to be identified and shared broadly among public and private organizations that are responsible for population-based health programs and services. Skills of the public health work force may need to be enhanced so that the most effective interventions using modern technologies can be implemented.
While the technologies are moving ahead at a brisk pace, laws concerning confidentiality and antitrust issues are changing much more slowly. The laws that in the past "protected" public interests, today may be inhibiting the development of collaborative efforts for developing effective programs for improving community health.
ROLES, RESPONS
IBILITIES, AND PRIORITIES OF KEY SECTORS
1. Local communities: Communities are where new partnerships for using emerging technologies can best be developed. New partnerships can be explored, and pilots can be developed and evaluated.
2. Private sector: The private sector has an enormous opportunity to stimulate and foster the use of information technologies for the benefit and health of the public. This can be accomplished through a multitude of activities, products, and services. Additionally, the private sector could offer technical and financial support to communities for the purposes of purchasing and training.
3. Public health practitioners: Public health practitioners have an increasing responsibility to become familiar with and to utilize emerging information technologies to better serve their communities. Limited public sector resources, however, may impair the ability to upgrade skills for the understanding, purchase, and use of new technologies.
4. Academic institutions: Academe has an important role in preparing new professionals for effectively utilizing emerging technologies. In addition, there is a need to design continuing education programs to retrain the existing work force.