The Center for Mississippi Health Policy contracted with the National Association of Health Data Organizations (NAHDO) to prepare a report outlining options for establishing a statewide health data reporting system in Mississippi.  Mississippi is one of only a few states that does not have such a system.

The report describes how in the past 30 years the number of state health data systems has grown from 7 in 1981 to 47 in 2007.   States have implemented these systems to accomplish a variety of purposes:

• Public safety and injury surveillance and prevention;
• Public health, disease surveillance and disease registries;
• Public health planning and community assessment;
• Public reporting for informed purchasing and comparative reports;
• Quality assessment and performance improvement;
• Health services and health policy research;
• Private sector and commercial application;
• Informing policy deliberations and legislation; and
• Employee and purchaser use.

NAHDO has drawn on the experience of other states to outline considerations and options for organizing and operating a statewide health data system.  Should policymakers be interested in establishing a system in Mississippi, the report provides information that will facilitate planning and implementation decisions and lay out a framework for system development.

Click HERE for a copy of the Issue Brief summarizing the report.

Click HERE for a complete copy of the NAHDO report.