BACKGROUND: The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MODHSS) was one of the first states to develop an interactive on-line query tool, the Missouri Information for Community Assessment (MICA), in the late 1990s. More recently, the Bureau of Health Care Analysis and Data Dissemination (BHCADD), in partnership with other units in the Department, has been working with Information Technology (IT) contractors to develop an enhanced web query system. The revised product features a new interface that builds upon features found on the existing site to design a query tool updated for the 21stcentury.
METHODS: BHCADD staff have access to demographic data and many Missouri-specific health data systems. Examples of key systems include vital statistics, hospital discharge and emergency room discharge data and data on chronic diseases and risk factors from surveys (such as BRFSS). These provide a rich opportunity to make health data accessible at the local level through an easy to use web format. Through the use of surveys, focus groups and many meetings with IT contractors, many novel features and enhancements were considered for inclusion in the new interface.
RESULTS: MODHSS has developed the Missouri Public Health Information Management System (MOPHIMS), which is an on-line tool that retains the popular features of the previous iteration of MICA while including a number of enhancements. Improvements to the system include: a new suppression rule to ensure confidentiality, new variables for data analysis, more granular geographies (i.e., census tract and ZIP codes), development of 2x2 tables, more in-depth data visualization tools (i.e., graphing and mapping) and the ability to save queries, among many others. The system also provides the ability for individuals to be granted levels of access, allowing for easier operations for basic users and providing more advanced users a larger range of data.
CONCLUSIONS: MODHSS has long been a national leader in data dissemination. MOPHIMS is the next step in the development of public health query tools developed and maintained at the state level. With these enhancements, public health data in Missouri will be more accessible and easier to understand for a wide audience that includes county health departments, non-profit groups, university staff, grant writers and the general public, while also maintaining appropriate security and confidentiality requirements.