Public Health Informatics: The Path Forward

The field of public health informatics continues to grow, expanding its influence and importance as its value to public health efforts is increasingly recognized. This chapter discusses some of the factors influencing the field and shaping its future. Four drivers of innovation in public health informatics are explored: policy; data; information and communications technologies (ICT); and the rise of new challenges. Policy issues such as health reform, data sharing, and national public health initiatives are reviewed. Data issues including standards, quality, Big Data, and the continuing challenge of interoperability are addressed. Predicted future advances in ICT, including quantum computing and artificial intelligence, are discussed. The chapter concludes with some thoughts on rising challenges such as climate change and social media, which offer both trials and opportunities for public health informatics.