HHS Expects New Data Warehouse to Spur IT Innovations

The Health & Human Services Department has launched a new Web site aimed at supporting IT researchers and developers in producing innovative software and data services for improved healthcare.

The Health Indicators Warehouse offers a vast collection of federal health and health care indicators from various HHS data sources along with Web-based tools. It's basically a "one-stop shop" where the public can access community health data.

"We recognize that one of the keys to better health and health care is data-driven decision-making at all levels and the HHS warehouse lowers the barrier for development of technologies to achieve this goal," said Todd Park, HHS chief technology officer, in an announcement Feb. 11.

Health indicators are measurable characteristics that describe the health of a population, including life expectancy, mortality, disease incidence or prevalence; determinants of health, such as health behaviors, health risk factors, physical environments, and socioeconomic environments; and healthcare access, cost, quality, and use.