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In 2008, the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) and CDC administered a survey of poison center (PC) members in order to better understand the role that clinical toxicologists and poison centers play in state and local public health. During 2010, the CDC, in collaboration with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) and AAPCC, developed the Poison Center and Public Health Collaborations Community of Practice (CoP) with the goal of first characterizing then improving the interaction between PCs and their state health departments (HDs). The CoP membership requested AAPCC and CSTE to administer a survey that expands upon the work of the 2008 survey to ascertain impediments to PC and HD relationships and to detail the areas of communication that can be improved between the groups.
METHODS:
Two surveys were created, tailored for either a poison center managing director or a state epidemiologist. The surveys were administered via a free, online data collection tool which was accessible by a link emailed to appropriate PC and HD officials identified by the AAPCC and CSTE. The surveys were sent to all PCs, state HDs, and 6 city HDs. Surveys included questions about infrastructure, current data sharing capabilities and capacities, barriers to collaboration, and willingness to bolster collaboration. The survey results were de-identified and linked based on the service area of the PC and HD.
RESULTS:
A total of 46 of 57 (81%) PCs and 54 of 56 (96%) HDs responded to the survey. The majority of HDs work with only one PC within their jurisdiction (n=33, 61%). Most HDs interact with their respective PCs through periodic phone/email contact on public health issues (n=37, 69%), and most have access to or receive data or case reports from their poison center (n=46, 85%). Responses about impediments to establishing, maintaining, or expanding the interface between PCs and HDs include lack of dedicated funding (n=43, 80%), information technology limitations (n=20, 37%), and lack of familiarity with the data (n=12, 22%). All poison centers and the large majority of health departments (n=47, 87%) believe that the relationship between PCs and HDs needs to be strengthened nationally.
CONCLUSIONS: The interactivity of and perspectives about collaboration between PCs and HDs vary widely, depending on service location and infrastructure of the PCs. The survey results describe the communication and funding needs required to bolster collaboration, and also demonstrate the willingness for further engagement if these impediments are resolved.