Q & A Spotlight: Using APCD Data to Generate Impact

APCDs are well-positioned to be the healthcare data engines of their states.

Fulfilling this role gives APCDs a clear path to sustainability and generates greater stakeholder interest in maintaining a complete and timely database.

In this Q & A Spotlight, Freedman HealthCare Senior Consultant Mary Jo Condon shares her tips for attracting interest in your data set.

Five Tips to Get APCD Data Noticed and Utilized

1.    Host quarterly virtual events to engage providers, employers, health plans and others in an ongoing discussion of their priorities. Suggest ways APCD data can support their work.

2.    With shared improvement priorities in mind, partner with other stakeholders in a collaborative project using APCD data to measure progress.

3.    Designate a specific, prominent place on your website to communicate the power of the APCD database by sharing key statistics such as years of data, number of members, and number of claims included.

4.    Remove barriers to data access with documentation describing the specific data elements in each available data set to help requesters understand what is available.  Share this information broadly with communications tailored to each stakeholder group.

5.    Dedicate resources to improving data quality, completeness and timeliness.

Mary Jo Condon, Senior Consultant, Freedman HealthCare