Communication Plays a Key Role in Successful Data Modernization

Posted on October 8, 2024 by Shawn Eastridge

This entry is part 5 of 6 in the series Innovations in Informatics

PHII’s Shawn Eastridge provides examples of public health jurisdictions emphasizing how communication is key to a successful data modernization plan.

As a part of its Data Modernization Initiative (DMI), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) engaged PHII in the DMI Stories from the Field project. Our hope was to showcase data modernization in practice, celebrating victories both big and small. These innovative stories collected from around the United States highlight how some states and jurisdictions approached their data modernization journeys. Their stories shed some light on the path forward, providing inspiration—as well as actionable tools—to those looking to follow in their footsteps. Stories such as Virginia’s Fairfax County Health Department, which implemented an electronic health record (EHR) system during the COVID-19 pandemic that connected lab orders and state systems, such as the immunization information system (IIS), more effectively. Or the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, which is working hard to bring diverse groups of people together.

Ben Klekamp (left) and Noel Clarin (right) meet with Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu, director of health for Fairfax County. (Photo credit: Will Schermerhorn)

As the PHII team conducted interviews for the DMI Stories from the Field project, we noticed a recurring theme across each jurisdiction we spoke with: the importance of communication. In the video below, we’ve compiled some highlights in which our featured interviewees discuss the reasons why communication is key to a successful data modernization plan.