federal open health data overview
TRANSCRIPT
Digital Government Strategy
Big Picture
On May 23, 2012, the President issued a directive entitled “Building a 21st Century Digital Government,” launching a comprehensive federal-level Digital Government Strategy. Among other goals, this initiative seeks to: ● Provide an increasingly mobile workforce with access to high-quality
digital government information and services—anywhere, anytime, and on any device.
● Unlock the power of government data to spur innovation across the Nation and improve the quality of services for the American people.
Why We Are Here
Big Picture
As part of the Digital Government Strategy, our team seeks to: ● Raise awareness of local, state, and federal health related federal
digital assets.● Determine interests, needs, and focus within developer communities.● Cross-pollinate with open data developer communities focused on
healthcare.● Help to facilitate partnerships and initiatives between such
communities and federal health agencies.
Weather, Localization, and More
Big Picture
● Some of the most ubiquitous (and profitable) digital services used today are built upon open government data.
● NOAA datasets are used by Weather.com/Weather Channel, and Weather Underground.
● Weather-related data collected by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association provide annual estimated private sector economic value of $10 billion.
● Annual economic value of data from the U.S. Global Positioning System is estimated at approximately $90 billion.
Digital Health Data/Content
Big Picture
● Digital federal health offerings span a compelling range from syndicated content (including web, video, images, and infographics), to traditional programmatically accessible numerical data.
● Syndicated content (via pre-packaged API calls) provides the ability to seamlessly layer local, state, and federal information within a single page, increase content offerings, and decrease staff/resource demands.
● Such content is easily added to mobile apps and social media pages.
When Only Data Will Do...
Big Picture
● For some needs, nothing replaces raw data--that can be massaged, mashed-up, and interpreted as needed.
● A wealth of currently available federal health datasets--accessible via RESTful interfaces, and via web-based technologies like Socrata.
Configurable, Downloadable
Big Picture
Federal data sites offer data that is:
● Configurable and viewable online.
● Downloadable (CSV, JSON, XML, PDF, etc.).
● Programmatically accessible via Socrata and CKAN APIs.
● Programmatically accessible via federal API.
What is Content Syndication?
Content Syndication
Once content is selected from an online syndication site:● Returned snippet of JavaScript code
embedded within the client site’s web HTML.
● Task can be delegated to even relatively non-technical staff.
● JavaScript snippet is effectively a pre-packaged API call to a federal server, returning selected web content.
Why Content Syndication?
Content Syndication
● Growing digital and social media content offerings (web, images, infographics, podcasts, video, data, and more), anticipating both current and future initiative needs.
● Credible, timely, and science-based information from a trusted health information partner.
● Fast and easy discovery and incorporation—freeing-up staff resources.● Maintains native-site look-and-feel, allowing for easy blending with local
content.● Keeps customers on local site, rather than linking to external web pages.● Automatically updated and kept current.
Proven Results...
Content Syndication
As part of a major upgrade/redesign of their departmental web site, Union County Health Department of Ohio has made extensive use of syndicated federal content.http://www.uchd.net
UCHD’s metrics on their site, logged before and after incorporating federal health content, demonstrated significant results:● 26% increase in page views● 18% increase in site visits● 12% increase in average visit duration● 19% decrease in bounce rate (those leaving after only viewing the front page)
Local Syndication
Content Syndication
Note on the previous slide, the inclusion of a state-level syndication site…
Common Look
Content Syndication
Note the common look and feel between a federal-level syndication site, and the previous ODH state-level site...
Your Own Syndication Site
Content Syndication
Ohio Department of Health uses the same software technology as numerous federal syndication sites:
● Enabling ODH to provide their own state content to city and county health departments, providing for seamless layering of local, state, and federal content and information.
● Federal syndication software facility available in either Java or .NET instances on the “HHS Digital Media API Platform” SourceForge repository.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/contentservices/
Data Driven Offerings
Data Repositories
There is also a wealth of more traditionally data-driven federal health repositories.
HealthData.gov offers:● Wide array of downloadable datasets.● Searchable by category.● Available in a variety of data formats.● At granularity levels such as county and zip
code.● CKAN-driven catalog API: www.healthdata.
gov/catalog-api
Diverse Datasets
Data Repositories
Sample federal-level hospital comparison dataset (care, mortality, and readmission quality measures)--available via programmatic API, and in downloadable CSV format.
Data.CDC.gov--Socrata
Data Repositories
● Socrata-driven datasets covering a broad range of health topics.
● Web-configurable displays--filterable by such criteria as year and region.
● Viewable in varying formats (bar, graph, pie chart).
● Downloadable in varying data formats (CSV, JSON, XML, PDF, etc.).
● Programmatically accessible via the Socrata Open Data API (SODA).
Open.FDA.gov
Data Repositories
The Food and Drug Administration’s newly-created OpenFDA initiative seeks to open the department’s massive data stores to easy and programmatic accessibility.
The initiative is currently focused on:
● Adverse Drug Events--A database of over 3 million adverse event reports.
● Recalls (coming soon)--Enforcement report and product recalls data.
● Documentation (coming soon)--Structured product labeling data.
OpenFDA on the Move...
Data Repositories
OpenFDA was built by developers, for developers, using open standards. The project offers APIs, raw data downloads, documentation, and examples: github.com/FDA/openfda.
OpenFDA data and APIs are already being utilized in the market:
● Epidemico’s MedWatcher mobile app (medwatcher.org) tracks and reports side-effects of drugs, medical devices, and vaccines, and now integrates OpenFDA adverse event data into its offerings.
● Social Health Insights’ web app (openfda.socialhealthinsights.com) offers searchable desktop access into FDA’s adverse event data.
Youth Risk Data
Data Repositories
While not yet API-accessible, CDC’s web-driven “Youth Online: High School YRBS (Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance)” demonstrates the power of granular and localizable federal health data:
● Filterable by state, age, gender, etc., and by such youth related health topics as tobacco use, alcohol use, diet, sexual behavior, and more.
● Configurable display--tabular/graph.● Downloadable images and datasets.
http://nccd.cdc.gov/youthonline/App/Default.aspx
Additional Youth Risk Data
Data Repositories
9th grade alcohol/drug use data in New York for 2013, broken down by gender. Such datasets are downloadable, and thereby programmatically accessible.
http://nccd.cdc.gov/youthonline/App/Default.aspx
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
Data Repositories
<--- Smoking prevalence data by states
Such tabular datasets are downloadable, and thereby programmatically accessible.● Configurable by state.● Filterable by such topic categories as
diabetes, hypertension, tobacco, and obesity.
http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/brfss/index.asp
Web Based Injury Statistics (WISQARS)
Data Repositories
Fatal and non-fatal injury maps and statistics.● Configurable by national region, sex,
age, and ethnicity.● Filterable by such topic categories as
animal bites, falls, gunshots, assault, mortocycle, bicycle, etc.
● Downloadable datatets and map images.
http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/
AIDS/Hepatitis/STD/TB Web Atlas (NCHHSTP)
Data Repositories
STD, Hepatitis, and TB interactive web atlas.● Configurable by year, state,
county.● Filterable by type of infectious
disease, ethnicity, sex, and age.● Downloadable datatets and
map images.http://gis.cdc.gov/GRASP/NCHHSTPAtlas/main.html
Localizable Flu Data
Data Repositories
CDC’s FluView site similarly demonstrates the power of granular, localizable, configurable, and downloadable federal health data:
● National and regional level flu dashboard.
● Configurable and filterable data, statistics, displays, and graphs.
● Downloadable images and datasets.
http://gis.cdc.gov/grasp/fluview/fluportaldashboard.html
Wealth of Content and Data
Data Repositories
Federal digital health content and data already spans a wide range of offerings:● Web content● Ecards● Podcasts● RSS● Images● Buttons● Widgets● Video● Infographics● Numerical Data
The New HHS Digital Media Platform
Data Repositories
New HHS Digital Media Platform (the software/API that powers federal syndication sites) offers:
● Vastly expanded categories of searchable and syndicatable digital offerings--web content, infographics, widgets, buttons, videos, podcasts, ecards, and RSS feeds.
Ready, available, and live:
● CDC API: http://tools.cdc.gov/api/docs/info.aspx
● CDC Syndication Site: tools.cdc.gov/medialibrary
Cross-Departmental API
Data Repositories
The New HHS Digital Media Platform also offers:● Core functionality/API that is
common across departments.● Easy facility to create microsites
around a given health topic (such as Tobacco) that combine diverse data and content from multiple federal agencies.
Backward Compatability
Data Repositories
Meanwhile, CDC’s previous feed/syndication-driven API interface will remain supported, for those institutions currently accessing content in this way:
https://tools.cdc.gov/syndication/api.aspx
● Sample Feed API Request:
http://t.cdc.gov/feed.aspx?topicid=[optional parameter]&format=[optional parameter]&fromdate=[optional parameter]
● Sample Syndication API Request:
http://t.cdc.gov/synd.aspx?url=[required parameter]&[optional parameters]
Local-Level Partner Offerings
Data Repositories
Many city government sites are following suit with local-level data sites:
● Often similarly powered by Socrata.● Familiar interfaces and programmatic APIs--facilitating application mashups that
combine data from the local, state, and federal levels.
https://data.sfgov.org
State-Level Partner Offerings
Data Repositories
Many state government sites are following suit with data sites, including California:
● Often similarly powered by Socrata.● Familiar interfaces and programmatic APIs--facilitating application mashups that
combine data from the local, state, and federal levels.
https://chhs.data.ca.gov
API-Driven Public Health Apps
Mobile Apps
Federal agencies have already developed a wealth of mobile device apps, operating upon their programmatically accessible data and content offerings.
Location-based Services
Data Repositories
Health and Human Services web app accesses local level information to provide a location-based finder for AIDS-related services:
● Zip code entry and mile-radius configuration.● Presents map location of testing, housing assistance, mental health assistance, substance abuse
treatment, and more.
https://locator.aids.gov/
Federal/Local Mashups...
Mobile Apps
CDC’s “FluView” app demonstrates a federal/local information mashup:● Mobile device companion to CDC online
FluView site.● Color-coded map of national-level flu
trends.● Active links on map image to state-level
flu information/DPH sites.
Sophisticated Data Visualization
Data Repositories
CDC’s interactive Diabetes Web Atlas offers:
● National, state, and county level diabetes data, presented both in maps and data tables.● Filterable by state, county, and year. ● Downloadable datasets and map images.
http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/atlas/countydata/atlas.html
Public Health Gaming
Mobile Apps
CDC’s “Solve the Outbreak” iPad app:● Melds public health education with a
full-featured adventure/sleuthing game—letting players investigate and solve a variety of international public health crises.
● Compelling adventure lets gamers learn first-hand what medical epidemiologists do every day in order to keep our world safe.
Partnerships and Innovation
Looking Forward
● Weather and location-based apps demonstrate the power of melding government content/data with private sector technology.
● HHS, CDC, FDA seek to bring similar innovations to open health data.
● Health info made available anywhere, anytime, and on any device, while enabling seamless mashups with related state and local offerings.
Working Together
Looking Forward
Your imagination as developers can help bring the President’s Digital Government Strategy to full fruition:
● Enable users to access localized flu stats.
● Check CDC-recommended vaccine schedules.
● View localized teen drug/tobacco stats.
● Find nearby disaster relief centers/relevant health advisories.
● Other as-yet unimagined innovations and possibilities!
Resources
Looking Forward
US Digital Government Strategy:https://cio.gov/innovate/digital-strategy/ Federal/State Content Syndication Sites● CDC: https://tools.cdc.gov/syndication/● CDC v3.0 Media Library: https://tools.cdc.
gov/medialibrary● FDA/CTP (Center for Tobacco Products): https://tools.
fda.gov/CSStorefront/● NIH/NIAID: https://tools.niaid.nih.gov/syndication/● HHS: https://syndication.hhs.gov● Ohio Department of Health (ODH): https://odhsynd.
odh.ohio.gov/syndication/● HHS Digital Media API Platform (Syndication
Software):http://sourceforge.net/projects/contentservices/
Federal Data Sites● HealthData.gov: http://healthdata.gov● Data.CDC.gov: https://data.cdc.gov● openFDA.gov: https://open.fda.gov/
Federal Data Sites (cont.)● Youth Online: High School (YRBS): http://nccd.cdc.
gov/youthonline/App/Default.aspx● Behavioral Risk Factors (BRFSS):
http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/brfss/index.asp● Injury Statistics (WISQARS):
http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/● STD/TB Web Atlas (NCHHSTP):
http://gis.cdc.gov/GRASP/NCHHSTPAtlas/main.html● FluView Dashboard: http://gis.cdc.
gov/grasp/fluview/fluportaldashboard.html CA State Health Data Portal
https://chhs.data.ca.gov/Mobile Apps
http://www.cdc.gov/mobile/mobileapp.htmlWeb Apps● AIDS Location-Based Services:
https://locator.aids.gov/● Diabetes Web Atlas:
http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/atlas/countydata/atlas.html