For the Public’s Health: The Role of Measurement in Action and Accountability

Proper health care planning requires the collection and use of  good factual public health statistics. Sadly, according to this report, quality collection and application of health measurements are lacking partly because there is not enough coordination among governmental agencies  and private sector entities.

For the Public’s Health: The Role of Measurement in Action and Accountability assesses the current situation.
From the press release:

“To inform the public health community and all other sectors that contribute to population health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation commissioned the IOM to examine three major topics that influence the health of the public-measurement, laws, and funding. In this, the first of three reports, the IOM reviews current approaches for measuring the health of individuals and communities and suggests changes in the processes, tools, and approaches used to gather information about health outcomes and their determinants.”

“The IOM recommends developing an integrated and coordinated system in which all parties—including governmental and private sector partners at all levels—have access to timely and meaningful data to help foster individual and community awareness and action. “

Links to the report, report brief, and report release slides may be found here.

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