Health Information Technology and Informatics

Thanks to innovations in medicine and technology, people are living longer in the United States. In fact, one in five Americans will be 65 years or older in 2020. This means that the development, implementation, and interoperability of health information systems that improve healthcare delivery is more important than ever. Informatics — the applied science of information and computer information systems — streamlines healthcare systems to enable clearer communication between providers, expand access to and ensure continuity in care across the lifespan, and improve the public's health.

NACCHO has a number of initiatives aimed at helping local health departments advance the use of informatics and information technology at their agency. Please contact phinformatics@naccho.org with any questions.

All of Us Research Program is a National Institutes of Health initiative aimed at building "one of the most diverse health databases in history" by enrolling and surveying one million Americans.

Local Health IT Community of Practice (LHIT) brings together local health department IT staff from across the country to share tips and best practices. LHIT is managed by members of NACCHO's own IT department.

NACCHO previously held its Public Health Informatics (PHI) Conference every two years until 2018, after which, the topic of public health informatics became an additional session track during NACCHO 360, NACCHO's annual conference, known as PHIITS.

Sara Alert™ is a standards-based, open source software tool that automates the process of public health active symptom monitoring, enabling jurisdictions to use resources more efficiently to conduct large-scale monitoring efforts. It was developed by public health experts for public health, and NACCHO leadership served as a critical partner in its development and implementation.