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North Star Architecture Redraws the ¡°Blueprint¡± for Public Health Data
ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø and its partners are driving to make data available for decision-makers when they need it, not days or weeks later
For decades, public health staff have struggled under the weight of too many different processes, hard-to-use tools that aren’t scalable or reusable, and systems that can’t “speak the same language.” As we move together to modernize, we need a common framework for providing data – and the access to that data – in ways that work for everyone.
The is a core component of ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø’s approach for making public health data work better. When we have common technologies in place, ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø and our state and local partners will spend less time managing data, and more time doing the lifesaving work of public health.
In 2022, we worked with partners to outline the vision for what this new framework will look like and began the first steps towards concrete implementation. For example, we’ve been working to make it easier to share data across the public health community. We’re developing a common “front door” for data being sent to ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø, eliminating the need for jurisdictions to send the same data in multiple formats to multiple places at ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø. We’re also expanding the functionality of ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø’s “” beyond COVID-19 and mpox diagnostic test results.
And beyond just data sharing, we’re investing in the modernization of ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø’s flagship integrated information system that helps local, state, and territorial public health departments manage reportable disease data, and beginning to build and test a set of flexible and secure digital tools, or “,” that can be used by ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø and public health partners alike.
While the specifics of the North Star Architecture are still in development, these ideas are already moving us faster toward a response-ready public health ecosystem.
What are people saying?
In February 2022, ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø and the (ONC) shared the initial ideas for the North Star Architecture with partners from across public health at a ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø Foundation Summit. Here’s are some notable quotes from the event:
“Health departments are burdened by too much time spent on data wrangling, which leaves too little time for actionable intelligence.”
– Micky Tripathi, PhD, MPP,
national coordinator for Health Information Technology in the HHS Office of the Secretary
“We need to know where we’re going and how we’re going to get there. Architecture and design matter. Context matters. Equity matters.”
– Judy Monroe, MD,
president and CEO of the ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø Foundation
“Having these systems in place can help us solve problems before they happen and reduce the harm caused by the problems that do happen, whether it’s addressing longstanding issues like health equity or preparing our nation for the next infectious or non-infectious threat.”
– Daniel B. Jernigan, MD, MPH,
former ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø deputy director for Public Health Science and Surveillance
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Where we’ve been, where we’re going:
August 2021
ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø and brainstormed on early iterations during the process of establishing joint priorities
September 2021
ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø began meeting with the (CSTE) and member states to share ideas and further develop concepts
December 2021
ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø and ONC presented an early set of concepts to thought leaders in healthcare technology and public health and incorporated feedback
February 2022
ONC presented an initial overview at the to share these ideas more broadly with our partners
March 2022
ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø presented an initial overview at the DMI Learning Community to begin the process of gathering broader state and local feedback
September 2022
ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø launched its Building Blocks focus groups, engaging state and local health departments in targeted feedback gathering to inform the identification, prioritization, and design of future Building Blocks
October 2022
ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø completed a with Virginia Department of Health in which a prototype data processing pipeline aligned with the North Star Architecture blueprint was created and tested
November 2022
ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø’s IT Data and Governance Executive Committee voted to endorse the North Star Architecture
