Public Health
Health IT is essential to improving community and population health outcomes. Public health entities can leverage health IT to prevent disease, investigate and diagnose health conditions, and promote better health for an entire population of people rather than one person at a time.
Public Health Focuses on Preventing Disease, Investigating and Diagnosing Health Conditions, and Promoting Health
Health IT can improve population-level decision-making by improving the quality and quantity of health data available to public health officials. For example, electronic reporting of conditions improves the accuracy and timeliness of data needed to identify and track disease trends. Electronic health records (EHRs), health information exchanges (HIEs), and other public health information systems are sources of information that can provide important health data about specific populations and can be vital in addressing many types of public health concerns.
ASTP/ONC’s Impact on Public Health
ASTP/ONC is committed to supporting the essential work of public health agencies through advances in health IT. Learn about the innovative work being accomplished with TEFCA, USCDI+, and more. In today’s health care ecosystem, the uninterrupted and timely flow of quality data across settings is foundational for addressing and preventing health threats.
The Cures Act and Public Health
The 21st Century Cures Act: Interoperability, Information Blocking, and the ONC Health IT Certification Program Final Rule (Final Rule), published May 1, 2020, implements key interoperability requirements outlined in the 21st Century Cures Act. The Final Rule includes provisions that relate to and affect public health agencies and the information systems they steward—namely provisions concerning patient access, health IT certification, and information blocking.
ONC Health IT Playbook: Public Health
Visit the ONC Health IT Playbook to learn more about health IT’s role in public health. Public health topics include:
- Participating in a Patient Registry
- Strengthening Care Management
- Using Population Health Management Tools
- Supporting Public Health Data Reporting
TEFCA and Public Health
The Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) benefits public health agencies by enabling secure, nationwide electronic data sharing. Among its many benefits for health care, TEFCA makes it possible for public health agencies to receive case reports and request health records electronically from providers, pharmacies, laboratories, other public health agencies, and TEFCA-connected organizations.
Learn About TEFCA
Visit RCE Website
Download TEFCA and Public Health Data Sheet [PDF – 1 MB]
USCDI+ Public Health
ASTP/ONC and CDC established USCDI+ for public health to address core data and interoperability needs beyond the scope of the United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI). USCDI+ for public health identifies specific data elements essential for public health transactions, targeted use cases, and implementation guidance supporting public health agencies nationwide. By defining these data elements, USCDI+ facilitates consistent data exchange among public health authorities across jurisdictions.
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ONC Certification Program
The ONC Certification Program for Health IT supports public health reporting through the transmission to public health agencies criteria §170.315(f). These criteria are designed to ensure that health IT modules can accurately and securely transmit various types of public data, including syndromic surveillance, immunization registries, reportable laboratory tests, electronic case reporting, antimicrobial use and resistance reporting, and health care surveys.
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HHS Health IT Alignment Program
HHS established the Health IT Alignment Program to streamline and standardize requirements for procuring health IT. Advancing the Program’s goals, ASTP/ONC promotes greater alignment of health-IT related activities across all related HHS funding and regulatory/guidance activities, including grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements. The downstream benefits for public health are realized through increased adoption of standards, such as HL7 Fast Healthcare Interoperability (FHIR) standard, which facilitates public health reporting to agencies.
Learn About Health IT Alignment Program
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ASTHO Reports
Two Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) Reports
These two reports explore the legal landscape of public health data sharing and opportunities for improved immunization data sharing with health information exchanges. Developed with support from ASTP/ONC and with input from key partners, these reports provide decision-makers with context and considerations for enhancing data sharing for informed public health action.
Public Health Resources
Explore some of ONC’s recent public health efforts.
