Developing an Environmental Public Health Tracking Network on the Cheap, North Carolina, 2012

BACKGROUND:  The CDC-supported Environmental Public Health Tracking Network provides a framework for integrating and linking environmental exposures and hazards to broad spectrum health outcomes.  Since 2002, 24 state and city health departments have been funded to assist CDC in developing a National Tracking Network. While the North Carolina Division of Public Health has not received funding for this endeavor, we have begun to leverage funded state’s best practices to establish an integrated tracking program with limited resources and infrastructure with the objective to identify and track indicators specific to North Carolina’s needs.   

METHODS:  We are in the process of implementing a strategic plan to: (1) identify indicators to track that were advised by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists and the CDC and indicators already followed by the state for climate change, occupation health, and private well water; (2) link these indicators to existing state programs and stakeholders; (3) conduct a current capability assessment of data availability; (4) perform a gap assessment of indicators not currently being examined; (5) prioritize indicators to be ranked through an advisory council composed of stakeholders from academics, non-governmental organizations, and state agencies; (6) develop a framework for integration of data sources; and (7) develop web portals and products to convey this information to stakeholders and the public.

RESULTS:  Early progress in developing this network includes: the allocation of state-appropriated funds to create a new position to focus on developing this network; identification of forty-three core content indicators; linkage of these indicators to existing programs; establishing an advisory council; and completing a data source inventory to initiate dialogue between agencies to promote data linkages.

CONCLUSIONS:  A strategic plan is being employed to integrate existing data sources to develop a cohesive tracking network. The ultimate goals are to monitor indicators with existing data sources and consider additional indicators not currently being tracked. In due course, the tracking of environmental public health indicators will assist in the evaluation of disease trends, help to identify and develop interventions for controlling hazards, exposures and diseases in the state, and assess existing public health policies and their effectiveness.