CDC data modernization efforts accelerate nation’s ability to detect and rapidly respond to health threats
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched its updated Public Health Data Strategy for 2024-2025 and a companion 2023 Lookback Report.
First launched in 2023, the strategy outlines the data, technology, policy, and administrative actions essential to address challenges in data exchange between healthcare organizations and public health authorities and between state, tribal, local, territorial and federal public health authorities. Seamless sharing of data helps ensure our nation can rapidly detect and respond to new threats.
Faster Sharing of Data to Make Faster Decisions: A standout achievement during 2023 is the increase in the number of healthcare facilities implementing electronic case reporting. More than 36,000 healthcare facilities can now send electronic case reports, up from more than 25,000 in early 2023. eCR allows faster receipt of data, which speeds case investigations, outbreak definition, and exposure identification, thus minimizing the burden on our healthcare partners.
Key Achievements: The strategy for 2023-2024 had 15 milestones. In addition to the increased adoption of eCR, other key achievements include:
- Expanding electronic laboratory reporting.
- Routinizing real-time reporting.
- Improving data access in rural communities.
- Establishing the Respiratory Virus Data Channel.
Future Direction: The updated strategy for 2024-2025 lays out priority work for the next two years to continue to improve our capabilities for early threat detection and real-time monitoring across all levels of public health. Focus areas within the updated strategy include:
- Further accelerating the adoption of eCR to ensure rapid detection of novel and emergent threats and diseases.
- Connecting public health to health IT to enable faster sharing of data.
- Expanding core data sources that are critical for detecting threats early and monitoring in real-time.
- Prioritizing data to address health disparities and promote health equity.
