HealthData.gov and Available Health Datasets
The goal is to improve the health of all Americans. Not what you would consider a weekend DIY project. Todd Park our once CTO of HHS and now US CTO has been on this mission since he walked into public service three years ago. You can’t help but get caught up in it all. If you attended or watched any of the Health Datapalooza forum these last two days and listen to Todd, at times you might just think you are at a national Amway conference drinking the kool aid. The government has so much data there has to be solutions in there somewhere. And what better way to help find it than letting it out to the entrepreneurs of today?
HealthData.gov is now the go to place when it comes to all that data. On the site you can find the health datasets available, find out status on innovation challenges, or even get resources like applications and tools. The datasets are from Federal agencies all across government. Currently, the Data page allows you to filter and search on 283 datasets. The filter options include, agencies, dates, geographic granularity, and media format.
There is a blog on the site keeping you up to date on what’s happening, explaining health datasets, issuing challenges, and reporting solutions. Want to know how to get started? Right here with their Health Data Initiative Starter Kit. Do you know of a health-related dataset elsewhere that HealthData.gov should know about and include? Suggest the dataset to them. Have a question about a dataset? Then just ask them, they try to answer everyone.
Are you a developer thinking about a project? Check out the Developer’s Corner, their hub for developers using the data to improve health. In the Corner you can get information on open challenges to participate in, get the API for access to the contents of the data catalog, and optain the source code for the HealthData.gov site.
Even if you are not going to develop anything or need the data, it is still worth getting all caught up in it. After all it is your health. Check it out.