Constructing legal authority to facilitate multi-level interagency health data sharing in the United States

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to forward specific policy proposals permitting greater sharing of health data across multi-level government agencies with the purpose of improving rapid identification of bioterrorist attack or disease epidemics while protecting patient privacy.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review searched the following keyword phrases: knowledge sharing in the public sector, raw data sharing, interagency information systems, federal data sharing technology network and network theory on five primary databases.

Findings

The volunteer nature of data sharing must evolve through public health policy to permit interagency data access agreements while minimizing privacy infringement. A multi-level information infrastructure network linking agencies tasked to develop medical countermeasures is recommended.

Originality/value

This study optimizes the health data collection process to create a medical countermeasure network, demonstrates the utility of operationalizing data metrics for a US federal agency and advances meaningful use of electronic medical records.

Citation

Fiedler, B.A. (2015), "Constructing legal authority to facilitate multi-level interagency health data sharing in the United States", International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, Vol. 9 No. 2, pp. 175-194. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPHM-07-2014-0045