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Tag: data

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Health equity

How Death Trends are Shaping Public Health

The year 2023 marked a pivotal shift in the landscape of public health in the United States. For the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the age-adjusted death rate decreased significantly, down 6.1% from 2022. With over 3 million deaths recorded, the new statistics reveal not just numbers but stories that tell […]

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Policy

Opioid Policies to Combat Addiction

The opioid epidemic has taken a devastating toll on communities across the United States. To address this crisis, many states have implemented various drug policies aimed at reducing opioid misuse and overdose deaths. But have these policies truly been effective, or have they had unintended consequences? Let’s dive into the findings of a comprehensive study […]

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Technology

NFTs are BACK! (for healthcare)

Maybe this article is about one year too late, but this review just came out, and there was a lot of Web 3.0 that did (and maybe still) hold promise. Let’s set the stage. Imagine owning your medical records just like you own your favorite songs or photos. That’s the promise of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) […]

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Mental health

How Surveillance Systems Can Save Lives

Suicide and self-harm are urgent public health issues that impact countless lives every year. These behaviors are complex and influenced by many factors, making it difficult to track and prevent them effectively. That’s where surveillance systems come into play. They collect and analyze data to help public health officials understand trends, identify at-risk populations, and […]

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Health equity

The Urgent Need for Comprehensive Data on Police-Related Shootings

Public health practitioners, policymakers, and concerned citizens alike should take note of a groundbreaking study, “National Burden of Injury and Deaths From Shootings by Police in the United States, 2015‒2020,” recently published in the American Journal of Public Health. This in-depth analysis not only illuminates the annual incidence of injuries and fatalities resulting from police […]

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Analytics

Synthetic Data in Health Care: Unlocking New Horizons

Introduction In the realm of healthcare and research, access to quality data is paramount. However, stringent regulations and privacy concerns often restrict data availability. This is where synthetic data comes into play, a revolutionary concept that is reshaping healthcare research and technology development. The article “Synthetic data in health care: A narrative review,” published in […]

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Health equity

The Two-Edged Sword of Data: Navigating Structural Racism and Health Inequities

The article Structural Racism, Health Inequities, and the Two-Edged Sword of Data: Structural Problems Require Structural Solutions provides a critical examination of how structural racism ingrains health disparities and how the data used to analyze these disparities can serve as both a tool and a hindrance. The Double-Edged Sword of Racialized Data Racialized health inequities […]

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Quality

The Balance of Data Privacy and Utility in the 2020 US Census: A Closer Look at Disclosure Avoidance Techniques

The United States Census is a monumental task that has evolved since its inception, reflecting changes in society, technology, and governance needs. The article Confidentiality Protection in the 2020 US Census of Population and Housing delves into the complexities of protecting individual privacy while providing useful data from the 2020 US Census. The Evolution of […]

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Health equity

Health Equity in Data: One LHD’s Experience

Understanding the intersection of public health and equity is crucial in an era where data informs (but should not drive) decisions. The recent article Data for Equity: Creating an Antiracist, Intersectional Approach to Data in a Local Health Department published in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, delves into this intersection, offering a […]

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Research

PLACES Dataset Featured in the New R Package

The PLACES dataset significantly advances public health data analysis and accessibility. Originating from the 500 Cities Project, which began in 2015, PLACES (Population Level Analysis and Community Estimates) is an initiative by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the CDC Foundation. This innovative project […]

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Workforce

HHS’s Major Milestone in Health Data Exchange

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced a significant advancement in health information technology, marking a new era in nationwide health data exchange. This step, governed by the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common AgreementSM (TEFCA), now operational, promises to reshape how we access and share health information. Understanding TEFCA: A Leap […]

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