Continuing the fight to modernize public health data, systems, and information exchange

Dr. Tabatha Offutt-Powell, Vice President, Public Health Data Modernization and Informatics, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), said the future of data modernization could involve emerging technologies like newer forms of artificial intelligence (AI) to build the data and systems infrastructure to ensure there are “healthy people living in healthy communities.”

“We should welcome [emerging technologies] but also understand, what are the nuances? What are some of the limitations? What are some of the areas that we really need to consider when we’re incorporating technology and what are those impacts?” she posed.

Offutt-Powell also stressed the importance of ensuring that any information collected can be easily translated from “data to action” for public health and policymakers. That requires a sustainable data infrastructure, a reduction in data silos and the adoption of “modern, flexible technologies.”