New Resources Assist Public Health Agencies
in Integrating Child Health Information Systems

Journal Supplement Highlights
Integration of Child Health Information Systems
The past 10 years have seen an explosion in information systems advances that support both health care services and public health services for persons of all ages. In the public health arena, a number of separate, often program-specific, child health information systems have been developed. Very few systems, however, whether in the clinical or public health arena, currently can communicate with one another. Integrating child health information systems would enable authorized users of information to see “at-a-glance” comprehensive information about a child’s health status and health needs.

A supplement to the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice (JPHMP), published in November 2004, summarizes the unique informational needs of children’s health care and some of the recent progress toward developing integrated child health information systems at the state and local level. Developed by numerous thought leaders in the field, staff of All Kids Count/Public Health Informatics Institute and the Genetic Services Branch (MCHB/HRSA), with support from Lloyd Novick, JPHMP editor, the supplement includes articles that collectively provide a snapshot of the evolution and current status of integration of child health information systems, with particular emphasis on public health activities.

The first two articles describe the history of All Kids Count and the evolution of a child health profile initiative. The next several articles summarize the current status of integration, lessons learned, and principles and functions of integrated child health information systems.

Several articles provide descriptions of differing perspectives on integrated child health information systems. Another describes how a community of practice can facilitate the sharing of lessons learned among state and local integration projects. Three case studies present different aspects of integrating child health information systems at a state public health agency, a local health department, and a community nonprofit organization.

To foster development of a shared vision of integrated child health information systems and an action plan to develop them, All Kids Count hosted an invitational conference, “Developing Child Health Information Systems to Meet Medical Care and Public Health Needs,” in Atlanta, Georgia, in December 2003. An article in this supplement summarizes information presented at the conference, as well as the recommendations made by conference participants.

The concluding articles presents a vision of the near-term future of integrated child health information systems and enumerates the major tasks for the next three to five years.
View or download in PDF file format

Proceedings: A Vision for Child Health Information Systems
Developing Child Health Information Systems to Meet Medical Care and Public Health Needs involved representatives of 55 organizations and government agencies who met in Atlanta in December 2003 to recommend next steps for development of child health information systems that meet medical care and public health needs. The diverse group of stakeholders identified actions that should be taken immediately and in the next three to five years to integrate the information about the health care that a child receives, beginning at birth, in a simple yet comprehensive format so that users (parents, families, health professionals, insurers and policymakers) can take appropriate actions.

The meeting was convened by All Kids Count, a program of the Public Health Informatics Institute. All Kids Count is supported by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to foster integration of child health information systems. The conference was co-sponsored by 17 organizations and government agencies.

Recommendations
Meeting participants worked in groups for two days to forge recommendations in the areas of governance, economic issues, information infrastructure, and data use. Common threads in the recommendations were:

The need to develop a national coalition of stakeholders to promote integration of separate child health information systems within the context of ongoing national initiatives such as NHII and PHIN.
The need to develop the business and policy cases for integrated child health information systems.
The need to develop agreement on standards for collecting and transferring information.
The need to get the word out about the importance of integrating separate child health information systems to improve health and health services.

View or download the Proceedings
Integration of Newborn Screening and Genetic Services Systems with Other Maternal Child Health Systems: A Sourcebook for Planning and Development (Integration Sourcebook), was developed by All Kids Count, a program of the Institute, in partnership with the Genetic Services Branch, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Agency.

The Integration Sourcebook identifies nine crosscutting organizational elements essential to integrating child health information systems, but also applicable to any information systems project, regardless of its focus or scope. The Integration Sourcebook also describes best practices for each element, as demonstrated by health information systems integration projects in Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Oregon, Rhode Island and Utah. Detailed case studies of the integration projects in Missouri and Utah provide a closer look at the key elements as in those states. The Integration Sourcebook also includes high-level lessons learned that are relevant to many different roles in planning and implementing a public health information systems project, including program managers, chief information officers, and public health executives.
Click here to download the Integration Sourcebook.

Linking Newborn Metabolic Screening Information Systems with Other Early Childhood Healthcare Information Systems: A Project Planning and Assessment Tool, is a companion to the Integration Sourcebook. The Planning and Assessment assists public health teams in designing their child health information systems integration projects from planning through early implementation. Its workbook format helps project teams and key stakeholders to understand:
• best practices associated with information systems projects.
• organizational readiness for the information systems project.
• additional strategies required to support successful project planning
and implementation.
• accomplishments and action steps.

The Tool helps project teams assess their organizational readiness and capacity to undertake and sustain a project as complex as integrating public health information systems.
Click here to download the Assessment Tool.

Creating a Road Map: Sharing Knowledge About Integrating Child Health Information Systems (Volume I and Volume II) include reports by members of the Connections community of practice, eleven state and local health departments and private organizations that are integrating child health information systems. It documents the systems integration activities undertaken by Connections member agencies, including recommendations that are relevant to various aspects of planning and implementing public health information systems projects.
Click here to download Creating a Road Map Volume One
Click here to download Creating a Road Map Volume Two

Informations in german can be found here.