Legal and policy barriers to sharing data between public health programs in New York City: a case study.
Integration of public health surveillance data within health departments is important for public health activities and cost-efficient coordination of care. Access to and use of surveillance data are governed by public health law and by agency confidentiality and security policies. In New York City, we examined public health laws and agency policies for data sharing across HIV, sexually transmitted disease, tuberculosis, and viral hepatitis surveillance programs. We found that recent changes to state laws provide greater opportunities for data sharing but that agency policies must be updated because they limit increased data integration. Our case study can help other health departments conduct similar reviews of laws and policies to increase data sharing and integration of surveillance data.
At the time of the study, the authors were with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
M Rose
MR
Gasner
Jennifer
J
Fuld
Ann
A
Drobnik
Jay K
JK
Varma
D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D011635:Public Health Administration / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods*; D011640:Public Policy; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000453:epidemiology