title: Using data to motivate action: the need for high quality, an effective presentation, and an action context for decision-making.
abstract: Three common barriers to the effective use of data to inform decisions and motivate action for the planning of cancer control are (1) failure to recognize the availability of high-quality data, (2) not presenting the data in a compelling format, and (3) failing to place the data in a historical and action context. Overcoming these barriers will go a long way toward demonstrating that high-quality data can be used to accomplish the desired outcomes in a Comprehensive Cancer Control (CCC) program. The article identifies existing sources of high-quality data, provides examples of effective presentation, and discusses successes in using data for program planning and implementation. The paper is not meant to provide a comprehensive discussion of using data for decision making, instead providing options to help key CCC stakeholders improve the effectiveness of their decisions as CCC plans are developed and implemented.
authors.affiliation: American Cancer Society, 1599 Clifton Rd., NE, Atlanta, GA 30329-4251, USA. bblack@cancer.org
authors.forename: Bruce L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cowens-Alvarado
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gershman
authors.forename: Hannah K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Weir
mesh_terms: D003625:Data Collection; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D006285:Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D040442:Public Health Informatics; D011786:Quality Control; D013060:Speech; D013997:Time Factors