Data Collaboration for Service Integration: Integration of Data Collection is Central to Integrating Public Health Services

Background:
Lack of integrated data limits service delivery and integrated program improvement among STD and HIV public health agencies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called for “program collaboration for service integration” among sexually transmitted diseases (STD), HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and hepatitis programs.

Objective:
To create collaborative processes among California Department of Public Health programs to review STD, TB, hepatitis, HIV, and pregnancy data collection, and to coordinate collection, analysis, and dissemination of data on common populations.

Method:
The California HIV, STD, Hepatitis, TB, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health programs, and education agencies created standardized data outputs in a collaborative effort involving key users of the data. Differing demographic, risk, and disease outcome variables collected by STD and HIV programs were harmonized to reduce the data collection burden for service providers.

Result:
Descriptive California data on rates of birth, reportable STDs, and AIDS, among adolescents for 2000-2006, were generated and disseminated to programs to inform integrated client services. A core set of harmonized STD and HIV demographic and risk variables were developed for use in respective programs data collected efforts. Differences in required variable collection by service providers for 21 of 30 core variables were eliminated. Harmonization was limited by local factors and national mandate; examples include inability to reconcile variables on race, sexual orientation, and condom use.

Conclusion:
Integrating data collection will facilitate service integration and delivery. Integrated data collection is largely achievable for a limited set of variables; however, integration is bounded by both local desires and national mandates.

Implications:
Integration of surveillance variables at national levels would provide strong support for “program collaboration for service integration” at the local level.