Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What are the steps to implementing the HCN©?
A.Once a county or group of counties has decided to work together to create a local HCN©, we will convene a series of meetings to review system options and determine local preferences, create detailed specifications for the local version of the system, build a preview system for review, finalize the system and help support system promotion and launch.
Q. How long does it take to implement HCN©?
A. Standard implementations can be completed in 3-4 months. Typically the system can be promoted and launched within 6 months.
Q. What data sources do the HCI core indicators come from?
A. On-line sources of data include the National Cancer Institute, Environmental Protection Agency, US Census Bureau, US Department of Education, and other national, state, and regional sources.
Q. What is the local view of indicator data?
A. HCI provides county level data that is typically compared to the distribution of other counties such that the county is placed in context. When possible, HCI provides data at the zipcode or neighborhood level.
Q. How often is the information on the site updated?
A. Information on the site is updated as frequently as the source data is updated. HCI provides quarterly update reports for the core indicators, news is updated each weekday, and the promising practices database continually expands.
Q. What is required locally to maintain the HCN©?
A. There is a range of minimum to maximum involvement to administer the system at a local-level. Counties may choose to spend almost no time maintaining the system and can simply respond to user feedback and comments via email. Alternatively, local staff may obtain and incorporate unique local public health data (that is not included as core indicator data), and add local events, featured local content, articles, promising practices and community poll questions. These tasks may be contracted out to HCI or another organization. The system is greatly enhanced by the addition of local resources, events, and neighborhood–level data as the increased local content makes the website more relevant and valuable to the community.
Q. How is the system funded in other communities?
A. Several successful models exist for funding HCN© locally and often include multiple funding sources. Current funders of HCN© include hospitals, county health departments, and local foundations and grant organizations.
|
