Public Health Systems and Services Research: Dataset Development, Dissemination, and Use

Abstract

SYNOPSISPublic health systems and services research (PHSSR) is defined as "a field of study that examines the organization, financing, and delivery of public health services within communities and the impact of those services." PHSSR is a relatively young field and suffers from a paucity of research resources. In this article, we describe the development and utility of a data resource, housed on the Health Services and Sciences Research Resources website maintained by the National Library of Medicine, which provides easy access to instruments, indices, and datasets that are relevant to PHSSR researchers. We also investigate efforts to promote the use and dissemination of these data resources, including the awarding of research grants and the organization of a PHSSR conference. While public health systems and services research (PHSSR) 1 is a relative newcomer to research synthesis and evidence-based practice, the field of health services research (HSR) has a history that extends several decades. Public Health Systems and Services Research2,3 Health services researchers have long recognized the need for databases that are suitable for secondary data analysis, as well as data collection instruments that have been refined through psychometric and common use procedures. These resources have enabled health services researchers to become productive quickly, and have helped HSR to become a well-defined area of inquiry.The National Library of Medicine's (NLM's) National Information Center on Health Services Research and Health Care Technology sponsors several research tools of use to HSR, including the Health Services and Sciences Research Resources (HSRR) database-an Internet database that contains approximately 800 records of various research resources (i.e., instruments/indices, datasets, and software) that have utility for HSR. NLM also sponsors the Health Services Research Projects in Progress (HSRProj) website, which gives researchers access to descriptions of current research projects in HSR. These NLM Web-based resources serve as a clearinghouse of information on HSR data and research.The efforts of researchers and the NLM to make relevant research readily available have contributed to the support, identity, and respect that HSR currently enjoys. Many of the NLM HSR resources can also be useful in PHSSR.3 However, a need exists for resources that serve the specific needs of those conducting research in the field of public health, particularly those involved in PHSSR.PHSSR is an area of inquiry that examines the organization, financing, delivery, and impact of public health services within communities, and has emerged as a vehicle for applying the concepts and methods of HSR to public health settings. However, PHSSR has been hindered by the lack of systematic resources that satisfy the information needs of researchers engaging in PHSSR. Anderson and colleagues describe the current state of PHSSR: "At a time when demand for evidencedbased practice (in public health) has reached its peak, a parallel understanding ...

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“…The NACCHO, ASTHO, and National Association of Local Boards of Health (NALBOH), working with the University of Kentucky's Center for Public Health Services and Research, have established a standardized database for state and local health departments and their governing entities. These data may be matched with legal data to answer questions posed by PHLR and PHSSR researchers ( Scutchfield et al 2009 ).…”