Integrating Data To Advance Research, Operations, And Client-Centered Services In California

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Social Policy Analysis
• Data Science

Background:

• Administrative records are valuable for health and human services operations and evaluation.
• Current records often focus on single agencies, limiting a holistic view of individual service engagement over time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the potential of integrated administrative data for improving service delivery and social policy.
• To shift from an agency-centered to a person-centered data organization.

Main Methods:

• Systematically linked millions of administrative records from California's major health and human services programs.
• Focused on integrating data across different agencies to capture individual client journeys.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated the feasibility of linking large-scale administrative datasets across diverse service programs.
• Highlighted how integrated data can provide a comprehensive view of individuals interacting with multiple services.

Conclusions:

• Integrating health and human services administrative records enables a person-centered perspective.
• This approach can significantly improve service coordination, targeted interventions, and social policy science.