Developing a local comprehensive environment and health tracking system: using what we know to improve health and the environment.

Recent national reports have highlighted the absence of a coordinated local, state, and national environmental health tracking system. Local environmental health agencies are struggling to design and implement data systems that will allow them to evaluate environmental exposures ecological trends, and health outcomes in order to formulate more effective prevention strategies. This paper articulates the need for local environment and health tracking systems, discusses efforts under way around the nation, and describes the initiative being undertaken in one county health department to address this need. It provides information on attributes of indicators to be included in such a system, sources of data, criteria for evaluating the usefulness of indicators, suggestions for involving the community and staff, management strategies for implementing a data system, and recommendations for resolving common barriers to data sharing and use. This information will be useful to agencies that wish to develop their own robust environment and health tracking systems to support the three core functions of public health and the 10 essential public health services.