Sharing data across state agencies and community-based organizations is critical for advancing health equity and addressing complex health challenges that involve multiple sectors. Insights from individuals with lived expertise provide valuable context to inform data-sharing efforts that is critical to improving health equity.
Integrating community voices into data initiatives can help improve health care quality and access. States can involve consumers in a variety of ways as illustrated by the following case studies.
These case studies are a product of Learning and Action in Policy and Partnerships, a national initiative that supports community-based data sharing efforts. The initiative is led by Data Across Sectors for Health in partnership with the Center for Health Care Strategies and supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
- Addressing the Health Care Needs of People Experiencing Homelessness in Arizona – Explores how a cross-sector team sought to integrate data systems and expand care coordination opportunities across state and local partners serving people experiencing homelessness.
- Addressing the Health Needs of Children and Youth in Rural South Carolina – Shares how a cross-sector team partnered to assist a rural, high-poverty county in identifying inequities related to age, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity disparities to better address the health and social needs of students.
- Supporting Aging Populations in Rural Utah – Discusses how a cross-sector team collaborated to implement a data exchange program to increase digitization of patient records and data sharing between social care and health care organizations to better support the health care needs of aging and Native American populations in a rural county.
- Reducing Poverty in Washington State – Explores how a cross-sector team of state agencies and community partners collaborated to involve people and communities that have been historically marginalized in state policy, budget, and program decision-making to accelerate poverty reduction.
