How to Improve Data Interoperability Between Health and Human Services Programs

Mathematica provided recommendations for improving data interoperability between health and human services programs administered by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“Given the scale and complexity of developing interoperability standards for human services programs, we recommend pursuing an approach based on targeted investments; steady, incremental progress; and identifying key data elements that will have the biggest return on investment in terms of case management, quality and equity of care, health outcomes, and research,” wrote Mathematica.

Mathematica’s comments came in response to ACF’s request for information to inform the use or adoption of interoperability standards for human services programs. Specifically, Mathematica’s recommendations include:

• Design interoperability initiatives with a clear vision rooted in real-world challenges and benefits.
• Foster interoperability through development of mature data governance standards, including robust quality, security, and privacy standards.
• Incorporate data interoperability efforts into program compliance requirements and ensure sufficient resources to cover costs.
• Focus federal investments on technical assistance that incorporates subject matter expertise and opportunities and mechanisms for peer-to-peer learning.
• Prioritize key data elements most commonly used by human services programs including demographic data and social determinants of health data.

In its response, Mathematica also highlighted the benefits of adopting a common interoperable data standard like Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) and put forward use cases as promising areas for current and future service coordination activities among state and federal programs.