Los Angeles County Modernizes Public Health Data Infrastructure Using FHIR Standards
Los Angeles County Works to Modernize Its Public Health Data Infrastructure
Summary
With support from the CDC Foundation, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is modernizing its public health data flow. This effort aims to collect and analyze lab reports in real-time, improving outbreak tracking and decision-making.
Details
Los Angeles County previously relied on bespoke, department-specific systems, creating structural challenges for seamless data sharing. To address this, a data engineer joined the Workforce Acceleration Initiative (WAI) to modernize the data infrastructure. A key initiative is updating the system used by epidemiologists to query lab reports for case investigations. This update involves migrating to FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources), a modern standard for capturing and exchanging health information. Adopting this standard will allow epidemiologists easier access and collation of lab reports, enabling seamless data integration over time without needing specialized developers or custom solutions. Furthermore, since public health data is first generated at the county level, standardizing the data structure across counties significantly accelerates state-level aggregation and trend identification. This modernization automates manual processes—such as reconciling duplicates in spreadsheets—that previously slowed down information flow from the lab to public health officials. By automating lab reporting, the time lag is eliminated, allowing teams to spot patterns like emerging outbreaks or shifts in pathogen impact much faster, enabling quicker, data-driven responses.
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