Key Objectives:
- To discuss the role and process of the Content Workgroup (CWG) for CDC’s National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program (Tracking Program)
- To provide an update to and solicit feedback from funded and unfunded health departments on current CWG team activities and recommendations on Nationally Consistent Data and Measures (NCDM)
- To gain input from funded and unfunded health departments on future CWG team activities
Brief Summary:
In 2007, the Tracking Program formed the CWG to develop surveillance goals, evaluate available data, and recommend data and measures for the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network (Tracking Network). The first round of CWG activities produced the first set of Nationally Consistent Data and Measures (NCDM) covering eight environmental health topics. Since then the CWG has evaluated and developed recommendations for over 200 NCDM along with indicator templates and how-to-guides for calculating and disseminating the measures. In 2015, the mission of the CWG was expanded to include the development of tools, guidance, and recommendations for using data to support public health actions to prevent or reduce the impact of environmental hazards on health. The CWG now has two objectives: (1) develop, improve, and disseminate NCDMs through the Tracking Network and (2) support the analysis and use of data to inform public health actions. The CWG accomplishes its mission by organizing as teams to conduct specific tasks selected to move the Tracking Program forward on priority issues. Team ideas are generated from recommendations by previous CWG teams, submissions from grantees and partners, and emerging CDC priorities. Final CWG products are reviewed by each grantee through a forum of principal investigators. This forum then recommends CWG products to CDC for adoption by the program. For 2017, the CWG launched eight new teams: childhood lead poisoning, climate change, community design, data utilization, drinking water, economic burden, life expectancy, and radon. Each team develops a work plan with specific deliverables such as developing new or improving existing NCDM, writing white papers to address specific challenges or prioritize future activities, or developing guidance on the routine analysis of Tracking Network data. For this roundtable, members of the Tracking Program as well as other public health professionals interested in Tracking will have the opportunity to learn about and discuss current CWG activities as well as share topics or emerging issues that could serve as future CWG team activities.