Stories: Surveillance and Data in Action

“Excess Death” Data Point to Pandemic’s True Toll

In the United States, there have been hundreds of thousands of deaths attributed to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. But CDC scientists suspect there may be more people who died, either from undiagnosed COVID-19 or from other causes related to the pandemic.

From Research to Response: Survey Shifts Gears During COVID-19

The scientists who designed the Research and Development Survey (RANDS) could never have foreseen the current global pandemic. But when COVID-19 struck, they recognized the tool was uniquely ready to meet the needs of the response.

Novel COVID-19 survey takes nation’s social, mental “Pulse”

The effects of COVID-19 go beyond numbers of cases and deaths. How many people are struggling under the stresses of the pandemic? The experimental Household Pulse Survey is helping to measure these other costs – and get answers before it’s too late to act.

Making Modernization Work… For Everyone

In Maryland, we’ve made our death reporting systems more electronic, connected, and responsive. But if you want change to be meaningful and lasting, you also have to give people on the ground what they need to make it work.

To Make Death Data Faster, Just Listen

Information from death certificates can lead us toward more effective disease prevention, better cures, and healthier lives. When crisis strikes, timely and high-quality death information becomes even more critical.

Data Summit Takes Industry Partnership to New Heights

In June 2023, more than 100 experts in data, technology, epidemiology, and more gathered in Salt Lake City to tackle big modernization challenges and brainstorm solutions to improve health outcomes and preparedness for people living in Utah.

Innovators Connect at Industry Days

Working with industry partners can help focus public health efforts and speed our response. As we improve public health data and technology through major national efforts like CDC’s Data Modernization Initiative, we’re seeking to make public-private connections more open and equitable.

NCHS Data Linkage: Realizing the Power of Data

The National Center for Health Statistics links health-related data from multiple sources so that scientists and policymakers can answer complex health questions relevant to all Americans. State-of-the-art data science techniques are helping us meet the information needs of the nation.

Charting a Different Course for Death Data

When plans don’t go as expected, the best resource you’ll ever have is the right people. Here at the vital records office in Indiana, we encountered some unexpected twists and turns in trying to speed up our death reporting, but we always kept moving in the right direction through the sheer ingenuity of our team.

New Data Provides a Deeper Understanding of Life Expectancy Gaps

First-of-its-kind data, compiled by the United States Small-Area Life Expectancy Estimate Project (USALEEP), mean that life expectancy at birth estimates are now available nationwide – down to the neighborhood level – for virtually every community in America. The first universal measure of health at a neighborhood level reveals gaps that may previously have gone unnoticed.

Interoperability Begins with People

When it comes to making data interoperable, we think about making better connections between systems. But in focusing on the technology, we sometimes undervalue the connections we need to make between people.

Modernizing our Public Health Surveillance Systems

CDC’s surveillance systems serve critical public health functions, but many of our systems use aging technologies that have been patched together over time and need to be rebuilt or replaced. We are exploring technologies such as application programming interfaces (APIs) and micro-services that are used successfully by many other organizations to deliver timely, high-quality data when and where it is needed.

A Primer on FHIR®: Lightweight, Reusable Web Technologies Can Help Solve Substantial Real-World Health Challenges

Thanks to advancements in technology and national incentives, physical health records largely have become digitized, and their roles have evolved beyond just documenting care. Data captured in electronic health records is used to create a deeper understanding of wellness and diseases, identify threats to public health, and guide policy changes. Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR®), or “fire” as it’s pronounced, is critical to this paradigm shift.

Promoting Dignity, Through Data Accuracy, for the Dead

All information captured on death certificates—such as race, gender, and marital status—matters. Capturing the information in a timely and accurate way is more than just an administrative requirement with public health benefits. It’s an opportunity to provide a sense of closure, maintain dignity, and respect the wishes of those who have departed.

How We Die Matters: Improving Cause-of-Death Data

When important details about how someone died are captured on death certificates, that data can greatly enhance existing public health surveillance efforts and help us understand epidemics. Today, several acceptable ways of writing cause-of-death statements exist, yet the level of precision required can be daunting and confusing, especially when evidence is incomplete or there are multiple conditions present at the time of death. Still, there are a number of ways we can make improvements.