Recorded presentation

Leslie A. Todorov, MPH, Environmental Public Health Tracking Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd., MS E-19, Atlanta, GA 30333, 404-498-1819, let6@cdc.gov and Gambrelli Layco, MFS, Environmental Epidemiology Program, Utah Department of Health, P.O. Box 142104, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-2104.

Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) is a special form of surveillance and is defined as: the ongoing collection, integration, analysis, and interpretation of data about environmental hazards, exposure to environmental hazards, and human health effects potentially related to exposure to environmental hazards. It includes dissemination of information learned from these data. Data analysis questions that require a merging of disparate data systems often pose a complication to traditional analysis questions. In order to begin to examine the potential challenges and solutions to these challenges, the Data Linkages Workgroup was formed in March 2003. This workgroup reviewed examples in their state/locality or from existing literature in which the goal was to answer an environmental health question requiring information from more than one type of database. Examples were chosen from one of five health categories: asthma, birth defects, cancer, lead poisoning/exposure, and pesticide poisoning/exposure. Issues identified by the workgroup as well as the associated recommendations will be shared. Current examples of activities being conducted to remedy or expand knowledge about the issues identified will be addressed.

Learning Objectives: