Introducing the Aggregate Minimum Data Set (AMDS) Services: The First Secure Services for PHGrid

The disparate nature of national, state, local, tribal and academic public health organizations is reflected in the use of diverse informatics solutions that are used to plan and respond to public health events.  These organizations frequently have complex data sharing policy requirements that prevent data from leaving state boundaries. While detailed health data is necessary for investigation and response, aggregate level data is helpful for situational awareness and narrowing the scope of a potential response. The aggregate minimum data set (AMDS) specification provides a common informatics approach for sharing low sensitivity data across jurisdictional boundaries. This data allows local investigators to query and view summary level data from their neighbors and national sources to augment their own informatics systems.

 At PHIN2008, the PHGrid demonstrated the feasibility of federated queries over the grid with RODSA-DAI. Following that presentation the PHGrid has worked with PHIN programs to create an open set of services for easily providing access to aggregate data. Specifically, PHGrid provides the following:

• XML Data Specification for AMDS
  
• Web services templates using this standard
  
• National data sources available through secure web services
  

The AMDS services and specification are developed in an open collaborative manner with participation from PHIN partners across the country. This presentation will describe the basic work necessary for local data stewards to establish PHGrid nodes and begin allowing access to aggregate analysis.