Leveraging Community Information Exchanges for equitable and inclusive public health data systems during a time of pandemic

The Foundation's initiative, Transforming Public Health Data Systems to Advance Health Equity, was designed to fund national analyses and timely, short-term grantmaking to inform an expert panel that will recommend a comprehensive approach to support the transformation of data-related policies and practices in public health and health-related sectors to improve health equity, as well as recommend directions for RWJF's future strategic funding in this area. As one of the quick-strike grants that will inform RWJF's expert panel regarding transforming data-related policies and practices to improve health equity and address the COVID-19 pandemic, this project will describe the Community Information Exchange (CIE) model and its relevance to public health; provide practical examples of community-driven approaches to building a CIE in varied settings, including rural; identify challenges to building antiracist data systems and promoting the opportunity to build those systems; and establish a strategic national agenda to support communities building CIEs, to reimagine public health data and community needs. A CIE is an ecosystem comprising multidisciplinary partners that uses a shared language, a resource database, and an integrated technology platform to deliver enhanced community-based care and support. Data from CIEs can be analyzed at the population level to provide predictive insights for public health for prevention, community planning, and policy. Deliverables will include a paper about the CIE model and public health; three community profiles; a framework for data systems that are structurally antiracist; and a national strategic agenda to support communities building CIEs.