17 Jun Contra Costa Health Launches Health Data Atlas

(Contra Costa Health Services via Bay City News)

By Michael J. Fitzgerald

An online tool aimed to give the public easier access to Contra Costa Health data was launched last week.

The Contra Costa Health Atlas can provide interactive data on more the 100 indicators and socioeconomic factors that affect health. The data already exists and is publicly available. But this program greatly increases accessibility.

“With the Atlas, you now have on-demand data when you want it, the way you want it,” said Contra Costa Health Chief Executive Officer Anna Roth. “The Atlas will be a tremendous resource for county residents, local grant writers, researchers, community-based organizations, policymakers, news reporters and community members.”

The Atlas allows users to map indicators down to the ZIP code level and organize data demographically. For example, users can search a variety of data topics such as overdose deaths and other mortality causes, life expectancy, disease prevalence, opioid-related hospitalizations, healthcare access, and socioeconomic indicators.

The data can then be displayed in charts, graphs, tables or geographically. And to put the local data in context, outcomes and trends in Contra Costa County are compared to statewide rates. The data from the Atlas can also be exported and downloaded.

“Sharing data with our community in a user-friendly way is a priority for us,” Roth said. “We want our residents and local partners to be able to easily access data about our community. With the Atlas, now they can.”

The Atlas gets its data the U.S Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, UCLA’s California Health Interview Survey and the California Department of Public Health.

Contra Costa Health plans to add more datasets on an ongoing basis.