In Indiana, Data Drives an Improved Approach to Healthcare Delivery

Hospitals are always looking for ways to improve the quality of care they provide their communities. Information, of course, is a key part of that effort, and Community Health Assessment (CHA) reports, required of nonprofit hospitals by the IRS, can equip care providers with important information about what’s working and areas that require greater focus.  In Indiana, a review of CHA reports revealed the crucial role that data systems can play in improving public health.

The Indiana Partnership for Healthy Communities – a collaboration of the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, The Polis Center, and the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, recently completed a review of their 2012-2013 CHA reports. The effort revealed the importance of data systems like the SAVI Community Information System to improving community health.