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| CA Strategic Plan |
| Recommendations |
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Public Support |
Youth Involvement
& Development |
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Access to Care |
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Service Coordination |
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Families |
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Communities |
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Schools |
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Data |
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Data | Overview |
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Use data to support
responsive programs & policy |
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| This is Chapter 2, Recommendation
8 of California's adolescent health strategic plan. To
view the full plan, click
here. |
Data are an essential tool for achieving many of the recommendations
in this plan. Data can be used to raise awareness of adolescent
health issues, to plan program and service delivery, and to
formulate policy at the state and local levels. Although the
volume of data generated through research, evaluation, and program
monitoring is tremendous, there are several issues that limit
the use of these data. |
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There is a lack of comparability in data elements
collected by different agencies and programs. For example, some
programs may track use of any illicit drug, whereas others may
track use of several specific drugs. Inconsistencies such as
this make it difficult to obtain an accurate picture of the
needs of youth and the impact of programs and policies. In order
to address this issue, the Department of Health Services, Maternal
and Child Health Branch and the Family Health Outcomes Project
at UCSF are developing the technical capacity within local Maternal,
Child, and Adolescent Health programs to collect a core set
of data elements for the comprehensive assessment of youth needs.
Efforts such as this must be expanded to improve the consistency
of data collection. |
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Lack of access to data on individual clients
is a major obstacle to the development of effective, integrated
services. Innovative efforts are needed to enable agencies serving
the same youth to share relevant information about their clients
without violating confidentiality. CATS (Common Application
Transaction System) projects in several counties that enable
clients to apply for multiple state programs through a single
application have made progress in developing systems for maintaining
client confidentiality. These models must be expanded to service
providers at the local level. |
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Finally, there is much room for improvement
in the use of existing data. At both the state and local levels,
data often remain buried in databases, reports, or research
articles rather than being brought to the attention of policymakers.
To more effectively shape programmatic and policy decisions,
data must be presented in clear and compelling formats that
the public and policymakers can understand. |
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Strategies |
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1. Increase standardization
of data collected by state departments |
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- Provide financial and/or human resources to departments
to 1) identify the most useful outcome indicators for tracking
adolescent health, 2) identify gaps in existing data collection
systems, and 3) develop strategies for filling these gaps.
n Standardize definitions of indicators (e.g., special health
care needs, abuse of alcohol, truancy), and identify a set
of required core indicators that each department must collect
on the youth it serves. This work should build on existing
efforts in the child health arena (e.g., Family Health Outcomes
Project, the Child Health Indicators Taskforce).
- Consolidate program evaluation and reporting for state-funded
programs and base evaluations on standardized data definitions
and measures. When possible, rely on existing instruments
such as the California Healthy Kids Survey.
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2. Improve the utility
of data for program and policy development |
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- Explore long-term opportunities for individual-level data
sharing that would make possible an integrated case management
system without violating confidentiality.
- Create a “child and adolescent health report card”
that captures both system and outcome indicators and provides
a mechanism for accountability.
- Provide technical assistance to counties and communities
to assist them in using data to drive changes in service
delivery and health policy.
- Collect statewide data on indicators of youth resiliency
and supportive environments.
- Assess the impact of youth development interventions on
improved health outcomes and reductions in risk behaviors.
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Click
here to view references |
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