Demystifying Data - Building a American Indian Population Health Data Portal for Enhanced Tribal Decision Making and Outreach

Brief Summary

Background: The United South and Eastern Tribes (USET), Tribal Epidemiology Center (TEC) “Demystifying Data - Building an AI/AN Population Health Data Portal (PHD-Portal) for Enhanced Tribal Decision Making and Outreach” Project, addresses the USET TEC’s need to increase its capacity to more effectively partner with the Indian Health Service (IHS) Nashville Area Tribes to monitor health status and improve public health infrastructure to better address American Indian (AI) health disparities. The USET TEC has embarked on a long-term partnership with Tribal, State Health Departments and IHS to build and integrate use of the PHD-Portal within Tribal public health systems.

Methods: Develop an interactive, secure PHD-Portal that includes a Data Monitoring Center, a Resource Center and a Collaborative Center. Develop a Tribal community partner network by forming and linking Tribal PHD-Portal Advisory Councils (TPAC) to use the PHD-Portal to help define, implement and monitor health disparity reduction action. Increase interest amongst Tribal students in health careers by involving them with using the PHD-Portal and participating on TPAC efforts.

Results: A beta version of the PHD-Portal has been built and USET Tribes have been shown and support continued development of the PHD-Portal.  

Conclusions: The USET PHD-Portal Project is a significant step towards establishing and improving a Tribal priority based AI public health surveillance system that provides Tribal leaders and their constituents useful, timely and credible data to make improved public health decisions.