Population health comprises improving health and eliminating health inequities for diverse population sub-groups. Population health is increasingly recognized as a direct function of equitable distribution of socioeconomic resources such as income, education, access to healthy food and clean water, and empowering individuals to control their lives to pursue healthy lifestyles. Inequities in social determinants of health (SDoH) and resulting health disparities are a growing public health concern. Advances in information science, computing, and data analytics offer public health and healthcare agencies the opportunities to generate and utilize large amounts of data (aka “Big Data”) for detecting health equities including those concerning SDoH, and to offer policy support for equitable healthcare and public health practice. Research evidence concerning the ways health information technology (HIT) can be leveraged to support improvements in health outcomes and health equity is particularly important in this era of emerging public health threats and patient-centric, evidence-based healthcare.
This Research Topic focuses on research studies covering topics in health informatics (use of information science, computer science, data analytics, and information systems to support evidence-based healthcare and public health) as they relate to promoting equitable population health and healthcare process and outcome improvements. Improving the mechanisms for patients to share important information with their providers allows for more patient-centered autonomy and control over important health decisions.
Research articles contributing to one or more of the following themes are of interest to this Research Topic:
-The roles of health informatics in detecting and addressing health inequities and disparities;
-Use of health information technology in efficient disease surveillance or detection of actual or potential disease outbreaks;
-Role of telehealth in access to healthcare and improved health outcomes in rural and underserved populations;
-Assessing and highlighting health disparities and the inequitable impact of social determinants of health: the role of geographic information systems and other data visualization tools;
-Best practices and innovations in synergetic use of health information technology, information science, data analytics, and population health principles to detect and address health inequities and disparities;
-Improving health literacy and community health education through the use of HIT and other health informatics tools;
-Capturing and integrating individual-level SDOH data into the workflow of clinical and public health organizations;
-Development of digital technologies that engage and focus on underserved and marginalized populations to help address health equity;
-Evidence from the implementation of programs that connect the health and social services sector to improve population health outcomes in communities.
Data-driven research that creates connections between health informatics and equitable population health and healthcare improvements can specifically help support inclusive and equitable public health practice and access to care. For this Research Topic collection, we invite original research articles and review articles including those using meta-analysis, systematic reviews, and scoping reviews.
Population health comprises improving health and eliminating health inequities for diverse population sub-groups. Population health is increasingly recognized as a direct function of equitable distribution of socioeconomic resources such as income, education, access to healthy food and clean water, and empowering individuals to control their lives to pursue healthy lifestyles. Inequities in social determinants of health (SDoH) and resulting health disparities are a growing public health concern. Advances in information science, computing, and data analytics offer public health and healthcare agencies the opportunities to generate and utilize large amounts of data (aka “Big Data”) for detecting health equities including those concerning SDoH, and to offer policy support for equitable healthcare and public health practice. Research evidence concerning the ways health information technology (HIT) can be leveraged to support improvements in health outcomes and health equity is particularly important in this era of emerging public health threats and patient-centric, evidence-based healthcare.
This Research Topic focuses on research studies covering topics in health informatics (use of information science, computer science, data analytics, and information systems to support evidence-based healthcare and public health) as they relate to promoting equitable population health and healthcare process and outcome improvements. Improving the mechanisms for patients to share important information with their providers allows for more patient-centered autonomy and control over important health decisions.
Research articles contributing to one or more of the following themes are of interest to this Research Topic:
-The roles of health informatics in detecting and addressing health inequities and disparities;
-Use of health information technology in efficient disease surveillance or detection of actual or potential disease outbreaks;
-Role of telehealth in access to healthcare and improved health outcomes in rural and underserved populations;
-Assessing and highlighting health disparities and the inequitable impact of social determinants of health: the role of geographic information systems and other data visualization tools;
-Best practices and innovations in synergetic use of health information technology, information science, data analytics, and population health principles to detect and address health inequities and disparities;
-Improving health literacy and community health education through the use of HIT and other health informatics tools;
-Capturing and integrating individual-level SDOH data into the workflow of clinical and public health organizations;
-Development of digital technologies that engage and focus on underserved and marginalized populations to help address health equity;
-Evidence from the implementation of programs that connect the health and social services sector to improve population health outcomes in communities.
Data-driven research that creates connections between health informatics and equitable population health and healthcare improvements can specifically help support inclusive and equitable public health practice and access to care. For this Research Topic collection, we invite original research articles and review articles including those using meta-analysis, systematic reviews, and scoping reviews.