Public health data collection and sharing using HIPAA messages

Public health information has significant value for doctors, public health officials, epidemiological researchers, the general public, and government agencies. Unfortunately, these data are difficult to obtain and are typically collected on as-needed basis and maintained locally. This localized process unavoidably limits the access to important public health data by its users. Moreover, the diversity of data transmission standards and collection techniques make the collected data less usable. This paper proposes a new standardized public health information system based on the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) messages, which are the standard transactions between hospitals and insurance companies. In particular, this paper explores the applicability of HIPAA messages as a data source and transmission standard, and proposes a prototype design of a new system to collect and share public health data using HIPAA messages. © 2005 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.