Short Communication: Principles of Health Data Stewardship in Public Health Epidemiology - A Rapid Overview

This short communication discusses the importance of managing health data to enhance public health outcomes while emphasizing the significance of data privacy and accuracy. It presents guidelines for the handling and utilization of data covering aspects such as data quality, security, privacy, sharing, ethics, governance, transparency, accountability and sustainability. By highlighting the value of high-quality data, we advocate for leveraging Health Information Technology (HIT) solutions, like Electronic Health Records (EHRs), to improve data integrity. Efficient data management supports health initiatives like analyzing disease patterns and designing interventions underscoring its role in decision making and formulating public health strategies. Keywords: Health Data Stewardship; Public Health Epidemiology; Data Quality; Ethical Use; Health Information Technology