Deep Space Nine: Implementing and Using Content Syndication to Meet State and Local Needs

Background: For over six years, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has partnered with CDC on Web content syndication.  Nationally, ODH served as the pilot state agency for using this technology on its Web site. 

Program background:  Syndication has allowed ODH to embed and deliver the most current CDC online contents on ODH site pages on topics as diverse as flu vaccines, flooding, and pertussis – all without sacrificing established ODH site layout, styles, and branding.  Syndication has helped maximize efficiencies by reducing staff time and by offering real-time national data. 

Evaluation Methods and Results:  In the past two years, CDC made two onsite visits to ODH in Columbus, Ohio to freely provide and install the full open-source syndication code so as to allow ODH to syndicate out its contents to interested subscribers (e.g. local health departments or media outlets) on their Web sites.  CDC has provided hands-on technical expertise, and will visit ODH in the summer to train users of the system at the state and local levels.

Conclusions:  As the syndication application underwent several versions over the years, CDC has been highly proactive in communicating and installing the latest fixes, enhancements, and fixes, and ODH has in turn worked hard to test and incorporate the latest changes into the agency Web site codes.  A major technical challenge in ODH’s effort to syndicate to CDC has been determining how to implement a code that varies based on Web page address, inside the Web content management system (CMS) that serves as the foundation for ODH Web maintenance.  The ODH syndication application, customized by ODH with its own branding and syndication catalog, is completed in Test and is set to launch in late May or early June, 2013.  The full potential of syndication technology remains unreached.

Implications for research and/or practice: We will share our perspective as a state health department using this technology to distribute ODH content to our partners and county health departments and supplement the ODH site with relevant CDC content. We will discuss our lessons learned from the process and provide encouragement for your organization to try syndication as well.