Toward standardized, comparable public health systems data: a taxonomic description of essential public health work.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To identify taxonomy of task, knowledge, and resources for documenting the work performed in local health departments (LHDs).

Data sources

Secondary data were collected from documents describing public health (PH) practice produced by organizations representing the PH community.

Study design

A multistep consensus-based method was used that included literature review, data extraction, expert opinion, focus group review, and pilot testing.

Data extraction methods

Terms and concepts were manually extracted from documents, consolidated, and evaluated for scope and sufficiency by researchers. An expert panel determined suitability of terms and a hierarchy for classifying them. This work was validated by practitioners and results pilot tested in two LHDs.

SUBMITTER: Merrill J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2758408 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature