Public health informatics specialists in state and local public health workforce: insights from public health workforce interests and needs survey
Modernizing and strengthening the US public health data and information infrastructure requires a strong public health informatics (PHI) workforce. The study objectives were to characterize existing PHI specialists and assess informatics-related training needs. To examine the PHI workforce, the 2021...
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| Veröffentlicht in: | Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA Jg. 32; H. 4; S. 748 |
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| Sprache: | Englisch |
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01.04.2025
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| Abstract | Modernizing and strengthening the US public health data and information infrastructure requires a strong public health informatics (PHI) workforce. The study objectives were to characterize existing PHI specialists and assess informatics-related training needs.
To examine the PHI workforce, the 2021 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS), a nationally representative survey with 44 732 governmental public health (PH) respondents was analyzed. The survey included data from 47 state health agencies-central office, 29 large local health departments (Big Cities Health Coalition members), and 259 other local/regional health departments. Analysis focused on "public health informatics specialist" (PHI), "information system manager/information technology specialist" (IT/IS), "public health science" (PHS), and "clinical and laboratory" (CL) roles.
PHI specialists account for less than 2% of the governmental PH workforce. A majority were female (68%), White (55%), and close to half in 31-50 age category (49%). Most (74%) were in non-supervisory roles and <1% in managerial/executive roles, with less than one-third (29%) earning >$75 000 salary. Skill gaps on informatics-related tasks included: identify appropriate data/information sources; collect valid data for decision making; participate in quality improvement processes; identify evidence-based approaches. The PHI specialists reported lower skill gaps in data/informatics areas when compared to other public health roles (PHS and CL), and this was consistent across state/local settings.
Given the scale of work needed for modernization of information systems, PH agencies need more individuals in informatics roles. To attract PHI specialists, better salaries, clear PHI job classifications and permanent PHI workers are needed, which requires sustained investments from federal and state governments.
Efforts to train PHI specialists, recruit and retain them in the governmental public health workforce, and address hiring issues in public health agencies are essential next steps to transform the US public health enterprise. |
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| AbstractList | Modernizing and strengthening the US public health data and information infrastructure requires a strong public health informatics (PHI) workforce. The study objectives were to characterize existing PHI specialists and assess informatics-related training needs.
To examine the PHI workforce, the 2021 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS), a nationally representative survey with 44 732 governmental public health (PH) respondents was analyzed. The survey included data from 47 state health agencies-central office, 29 large local health departments (Big Cities Health Coalition members), and 259 other local/regional health departments. Analysis focused on "public health informatics specialist" (PHI), "information system manager/information technology specialist" (IT/IS), "public health science" (PHS), and "clinical and laboratory" (CL) roles.
PHI specialists account for less than 2% of the governmental PH workforce. A majority were female (68%), White (55%), and close to half in 31-50 age category (49%). Most (74%) were in non-supervisory roles and <1% in managerial/executive roles, with less than one-third (29%) earning >$75 000 salary. Skill gaps on informatics-related tasks included: identify appropriate data/information sources; collect valid data for decision making; participate in quality improvement processes; identify evidence-based approaches. The PHI specialists reported lower skill gaps in data/informatics areas when compared to other public health roles (PHS and CL), and this was consistent across state/local settings.
Given the scale of work needed for modernization of information systems, PH agencies need more individuals in informatics roles. To attract PHI specialists, better salaries, clear PHI job classifications and permanent PHI workers are needed, which requires sustained investments from federal and state governments.
Efforts to train PHI specialists, recruit and retain them in the governmental public health workforce, and address hiring issues in public health agencies are essential next steps to transform the US public health enterprise. Modernizing and strengthening the US public health data and information infrastructure requires a strong public health informatics (PHI) workforce. The study objectives were to characterize existing PHI specialists and assess informatics-related training needs.OBJECTIVEModernizing and strengthening the US public health data and information infrastructure requires a strong public health informatics (PHI) workforce. The study objectives were to characterize existing PHI specialists and assess informatics-related training needs.To examine the PHI workforce, the 2021 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS), a nationally representative survey with 44 732 governmental public health (PH) respondents was analyzed. The survey included data from 47 state health agencies-central office, 29 large local health departments (Big Cities Health Coalition members), and 259 other local/regional health departments. Analysis focused on "public health informatics specialist" (PHI), "information system manager/information technology specialist" (IT/IS), "public health science" (PHS), and "clinical and laboratory" (CL) roles.MATERIALS AND METHODSTo examine the PHI workforce, the 2021 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS), a nationally representative survey with 44 732 governmental public health (PH) respondents was analyzed. The survey included data from 47 state health agencies-central office, 29 large local health departments (Big Cities Health Coalition members), and 259 other local/regional health departments. Analysis focused on "public health informatics specialist" (PHI), "information system manager/information technology specialist" (IT/IS), "public health science" (PHS), and "clinical and laboratory" (CL) roles.PHI specialists account for less than 2% of the governmental PH workforce. A majority were female (68%), White (55%), and close to half in 31-50 age category (49%). Most (74%) were in non-supervisory roles and <1% in managerial/executive roles, with less than one-third (29%) earning >$75 000 salary. Skill gaps on informatics-related tasks included: identify appropriate data/information sources; collect valid data for decision making; participate in quality improvement processes; identify evidence-based approaches. The PHI specialists reported lower skill gaps in data/informatics areas when compared to other public health roles (PHS and CL), and this was consistent across state/local settings.RESULTSPHI specialists account for less than 2% of the governmental PH workforce. A majority were female (68%), White (55%), and close to half in 31-50 age category (49%). Most (74%) were in non-supervisory roles and <1% in managerial/executive roles, with less than one-third (29%) earning >$75 000 salary. Skill gaps on informatics-related tasks included: identify appropriate data/information sources; collect valid data for decision making; participate in quality improvement processes; identify evidence-based approaches. The PHI specialists reported lower skill gaps in data/informatics areas when compared to other public health roles (PHS and CL), and this was consistent across state/local settings.Given the scale of work needed for modernization of information systems, PH agencies need more individuals in informatics roles. To attract PHI specialists, better salaries, clear PHI job classifications and permanent PHI workers are needed, which requires sustained investments from federal and state governments.DISCUSSIONGiven the scale of work needed for modernization of information systems, PH agencies need more individuals in informatics roles. To attract PHI specialists, better salaries, clear PHI job classifications and permanent PHI workers are needed, which requires sustained investments from federal and state governments.Efforts to train PHI specialists, recruit and retain them in the governmental public health workforce, and address hiring issues in public health agencies are essential next steps to transform the US public health enterprise.CONCLUSIONEfforts to train PHI specialists, recruit and retain them in the governmental public health workforce, and address hiring issues in public health agencies are essential next steps to transform the US public health enterprise. |
| Author | Leider, Jonathon P Dixon, Brian E Gunashekar, Divya Rupini Rajamani, Sripriya |
| Author_xml | – sequence: 1 givenname: Sripriya orcidid: 0000-0002-5941-7500 surname: Rajamani fullname: Rajamani, Sripriya organization: Institute for Health Informatics, Office of Academic Clinical Affairs, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States – sequence: 2 givenname: Jonathon P surname: Leider fullname: Leider, Jonathon P organization: Center for Public Health Systems, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States – sequence: 3 givenname: Divya Rupini surname: Gunashekar fullname: Gunashekar, Divya Rupini organization: Institute for Health Informatics, Office of Academic Clinical Affairs, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States – sequence: 4 givenname: Brian E orcidid: 0000-0002-1121-0607 surname: Dixon fullname: Dixon, Brian E organization: Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indiana University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States |
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| Copyright | The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com. |
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| Title | Public health informatics specialists in state and local public health workforce: insights from public health workforce interests and needs survey |
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