At a glance
This section provides practical applications and considerations for incorporating data equity into each stage of the data lifecycle. Table 2 provides a summarized list of the considerations.
Practical Applications
Addressing data equity across the data life cycle often requires a multi-pronged approach, integrated partnerships and shared resources. Although the following recommendations focus on approaches to using and improving emergency department patient visit data, the concepts can be applied to other syndromic surveillance data sources, including hospital discharges and vital statistics mortality data.
Data Lifecycle Step
Consideration
Data collection and sourcing
- Ensure all facilities submit data on a regular basis.
- Routinely review demographic data completeness as part of ongoing data quality checks.
- Identify facilities not participating in your syndromic surveillance program.
- Work with your health department and participating facilities to improve demographic data collection.
- Identify and implement educational training on the importance of collecting accurate demographic information.
- Explore using Z code data to demonstrate value to clinicians, public health programs, and the NSSP Community of Practice (CoP).
Analysis and interpretation
- Disaggregate syndromic data to describe diverse and intersectional experiences.
- Prioritize community engagement when analyzing and interpreting syndromic surveillance data.
- Include community members in the development of syndrome definitions.
- Assess the extent to which principles of equitable data practice are incorporated in your work and opportunities to expand their practice.
Communication and dissemination
- Use plain language and clear visuals to describe findings and implications.
- Articulate decisions made during data processing and cleaning.
- Partner with communities to identify, design, and prioritize future actions stemming from the analyses.
- Include community input when interpreting public health data and developing messaging, communication, and dissemination plans and materials to reduce misconceptions and misunderstandings.
Table 2. Factors contributing to and solutions to address incomplete and inaccurate demographic data from the perspective of patients, clinicians, and the larger healthcare system.