Public Health Data Standards Consortium (PHDSC)
Research Areas
At a Glance
- Status: Active Consortium
- Year Launched: 2003
- Initiating Organization: Public Health Data Standards Consortium
- Initiator Type: Third-party organization
- No disease focus
- Location: North America

Abstract
The Public Health Data Standards Consortium (PHDSC) is a national nonprofit membership-based organization of federal, state, and local health agencies; professional associations; academia; public- and private-sector organizations; international members; and individuals. Its goal is to empower the healthcare and public health communities with health information technology (HIT) standards to improve individual and community health.
Mission
PHDSC is committed to bringing a common voice from the public health community to the national efforts of standardization of HIT and population health. To fulfill its mission the consortium:
Consortium History
The Consortium was established in 1998 in response to recommendations from a workshop titled “The Implications of HIPAA-AS Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Administrative Simplification Provisions for Public Health and Health Services Research,” held on November 2-3, 1998, in Washington, D.C.
A Steering Committee was formed at this workshop to coordinate public health efforts in Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) implementation and other national activities related to standardization of public health information and information systems.
In 2003, PHDSC became a nonprofit organization to represent the public health community in the HIT standardization efforts.
Structure & Governance
PHDSC’s activities are directed by a Board of Directors, which consists of representatives from member organizations. An Executive Committee acts on behalf of the Board of Directors during the intervals between meetings of the Board of Directors. Daily activities of the consortium are managed by the executive director, who is appointed by the Board of Directors.
The consortium has many program committees including Data Standards, Payer Typology, Health Care Services Data Reporting Guide, Nationwide Health Information Network, Privacy, Security & Data Exchange, Communications & Outreach, and Professional Education.
Impact/Accomplishment
PHDSC has projects focused on standards development and harmonization, health information exchanges, privacy and security, and workforce. The products of each program can be found on PHDSC’s website.
PHDSC's Web Resource Center on Public Health in HIT Standardization is one of the first products to be implemented from the Business Case: Role of Public Health in National Health Information Technology Standardization Coordinated Public Health Action Plan on HIT Standards. The Web Resource Center consists of modules designed to address barriers for public health participation in HIT standardization and intended for public health, HIT leadership and decision-makers, public health program leadership, public health practitioners, clinicians, and researchers.
Links/Social Media Feed
Homepage |
Points of Contact
To subscribe to the PH-CONSORTIUM-L listserv, send an email to LISTSERV@LIST.NIH.GOV with the following text in the message body: SUBSCRIBE PH-CONSORTIUM-L YOUR NAME
Anna Orlova, Ph.D.
PHDSC Executive Director
111 South Calvert Street Suite 2700
Baltimore MD 21202
phone: 410-385-5272
fax: 866-637-6526
email: aorlova@jhsph.edu
Sponsors & Partners
Membership Classes:
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Federal agencies
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State and local government agencies
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Professional membership organizations
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Other professional organizations
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Academic institutions
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For-profit organizations
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Individual members
Membership Categories:
Within each membership class (except for for-profit organizations and individual members), there are two membership categories: contributing membership and general membership.
Contributing members pay higher fees than general members. The contributing members designate their representatives to the Board of Directors.
General members pay the general membership fee. General members elect representatives to the Board of Directors among other general members in their membership class.
For-profit organization membership dues are based on the organization’s healthcare revenues. For-profit organization members elect representatives to the Board of Directors.
Individual members pay the individual membership fee. Individual members do not have representation on the Board of Directors.