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Supporting Health Equity Through Data-Driven Decision-Making: A Local Health Department Response to COVID-19
Elinor Hansotte1, Elizabeth Bowman1, P Joseph Gibson1
1Elinor Hansotte, Elizabeth Bowman, P. Joseph Gibson, Virgil R. Madden, and Virginia A. Caine are with the Marion County Public Health Department, Indianapolis, IN. Brian E. Dixon is with the Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indiana University, Indianapolis, and the Regenstrief Institute, Inc., Indianapolis.
American Journal of Public Health
|October 28, 2021
Summary
Local health departments can reduce health inequities by using disease surveillance data to strategically place COVID-19 testing sites. This approach effectively reached high-burden communities, improving access to care for Black and Brown Americans.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Equity
- Epidemiology
Background:
- COVID-19 has exposed and exacerbated existing health disparities affecting Black and Brown Americans.
- Access to healthcare and testing remains unequal across different racial and ethnic groups.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of using public health surveillance data to address COVID-19 testing inequities.
- To determine if targeted testing strategies can reach populations disproportionately affected by the disease.
Main Methods:
- Utilized disease surveillance data to identify areas with high COVID-19 incidence.
- Strategically placed community testing sites in identified high-incidence neighborhoods.
- Collected and analyzed demographic data of individuals utilizing the testing sites.
Main Results:
- Targeted testing sites successfully reached demographic groups with the highest burden of COVID-19 disease.
- Data confirmed that the intervention effectively served the intended high-risk populations.
- Demonstrated a correlation between data-driven site placement and equitable testing access.
Conclusions:
- Local health departments can leverage surveillance data to effectively combat health inequities.
- Strategic deployment of resources, like testing sites, is crucial for addressing health disparities.
- Public health surveillance is a vital tool for ensuring equitable access to healthcare services.
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