Lessons Learned From the Environmental Public Health Tracking Sub-County Data Pilot Project

Area of Science:

• Environmental public health
• Geographic information systems
• Health data analytics

Background:

• Small area data are vital for understanding local environmental health, outcomes, and risk factors.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program (Tracking Program) initiated a pilot project in 2014.
• The project aimed to integrate sub-county data into the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network (Tracking Network).

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and challenges of integrating sub-county data into the Tracking Network.
• To identify best practices and recommendations for handling small area data.
• To inform the development of a standardized system for sub-county environmental public health data.

Main Methods:

• Pilot project involving collaboration between the Tracking Program and external grantees.
• Development of sub-county level data for multiple datasets.
• Standardization of data submission processes and geographic definitions.
• Documentation of challenges and decisions encountered by grantees.

Main Results:

• Challenges were identified in geocoding, data aggregation, population estimation, and data stability.
• Grantees documented specific issues encountered during the data development process.
• Insights gained provide a foundation for future data integration efforts.

Conclusions:

• National standards are needed for generating, analyzing, and sharing sub-county data.
• Standardization will enable comparison of outcomes, geographies, and time across different areas.
• Enhanced availability of small area data will improve the Tracking Network and support informed local decision-making.