McFarlane Timothy D, Dixon Brian E, Grannis Shaun J, Gibson P Joseph
Department of Epidemiology, Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indianapolis, Indiana (Mr McFarlane and Dr Dixon); Center for Biomedical Informatics, Regenstrief Institute, Indianapolis, Indiana (Drs Dixon and Grannis); Center for Health Information and Communication, Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Health Services Research and Development Service, Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, Indiana (Dr Dixon); Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana (Dr Grannis); and Department of Epidemiology, Marion County Public Health Department, Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County, Indianapolis, Indiana (Dr Gibson).
J Public Health Manag Pract. 2019 Mar/Apr;25 Suppl 2, Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey 2017(2 Suppl):S67-S77. doi: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000000918.
To characterize public health informatics (PHI) specialists and identify the informatics needs of the public health workforce.
Cross-sectional study.
US local and state health agencies.
Employees from state health agencies central office (SHA-COs) and local health departments (LHDs) participating in the 2017 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS). We characterized and compared the job roles for self-reported PHI, "information technology specialist or information system manager" (IT/IS), "public health science" (PHS), and "clinical and laboratory" workers.
Descriptive statistics for demographics, income, education, public health experience, program area, job satisfaction, and workplace environment, as well as data and informatics skills and needs.
A total of 17 136 SHA-CO and 26 533 LHD employees participated in the survey. PHI specialist was self-reported as a job role among 1.1% and 0.3% of SHA-CO and LHD employees. The PHI segment most closely resembled PHS employees but had less public health experience and had lower salaries. Overall, fewer than one-third of PHI specialists reported working in an informatics program area, often supporting epidemiology and surveillance, vital records, and communicable disease. Compared with PH WINS 2014, current PHI respondents' satisfaction with their job and workplace environment moved toward more neutral and negative responses, while the IT/IS, PHS, and clinical and laboratory subgroups shifted toward more positive responses. The PHI specialists were less likely than those in IT/IS, PHS, or clinical and laboratory roles to report gaps in needed data and informatics skills.
The informatics specialists' role continues to be rare in public health agencies, and those filling that role tend to have less public health experience and be less well compensated than staff in other technically focused positions. Significant data and informatics skills gaps persist among the broader public health workforce.
描述公共卫生信息学（PHI）专家的特征，并确定公共卫生工作队伍的信息学需求。
横断面研究。
美国地方和州卫生机构。
来自州卫生机构中央办公室（SHA-COs）和地方卫生部门（LHDs）的员工，他们参与了2017年公共卫生工作队伍兴趣与需求调查（PH WINS）。我们对自我报告的PHI、“信息技术专家或信息系统经理”（IT/IS）、“公共卫生科学”（PHS）以及“临床和实验室”工作人员的工作角色进行了描述和比较。
人口统计学、收入、教育、公共卫生经验、项目领域、工作满意度和工作场所环境的描述性统计数据，以及数据和信息学技能与需求。
共有17136名SHA-CO员工和26533名LHD员工参与了调查。在SHA-CO和LHD员工中，分别有1.1%和0.3%的人将PHI专家作为自我报告的工作角色。PHI群体与PHS员工最为相似，但公共卫生经验较少，薪资较低。总体而言，不到三分之一的PHI专家报告称在信息学项目领域工作，通常支持流行病学和监测、重要记录以及传染病工作。与2014年的PH WINS相比，当前PHI受访者对其工作和工作场所环境的满意度朝着更中性和负面的方向转变，而IT/IS、PHS以及临床和实验室亚组则朝着更积极的方向转变。与IT/IS、PHS或临床和实验室岗位的人员相比，PHI专家报告所需数据和信息学技能差距的可能性较小。
信息学专家在公共卫生机构中的角色仍然很少见，担任该角色的人员往往比其他技术重点岗位的人员公共卫生经验更少，薪酬也更低。广大公共卫生工作队伍中仍然存在显著的数据和信息学技能差距。
