![Team meeting with a woman presenting in front of a white board with sticky notes](/sites/g/files/omnuum10826/files/styles/hwp_21_9__1920x825/public/2025-06/jason-goodman-Oalh2MojUuk-unsplash.jpg?itok=CvxkaB_g) # Improving Public Health Decision-Making Through Alternative Data Sources: Part Two June 23, 2025 ITGH Data Team This article is part two of a two-part series that investigates the challenges with public health data sharing and how public officials can overcome them to find, analyze, and apply the data necessary to drive policy decisions. [Part one discusses these challenges in relation to environmental health, respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses](/news/2025/06/improving-public-health-decision-making-through-alternative-data-sources-part-one "Improving Public Health Decision-Making Through Alternative Data Sources: Part One"), as well as health outcomes and how public health officials can utilize both conventional and alternative data to inform decision-making. For example, imagine a public health researcher in Louisiana looking for data that could help explain why a greater number of children were hospitalized in 2024 than previous years. By using [the Capstone Database](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1k4XmCLY98R3DdEKhGCKhbMZVt93wTL7euzyExrrtwDQ/edit?invite=CMqQzIQC&gid=1158165501#gid=1158165501), the researcher can utilize the codified health outcome and exposure variables to find national and Louisiana based datasets. Through comparing rates of hospitalization for those with asthma in Dataset 28 to air pollution rates in Datasets 21 and 44, the researcher is able to identify respiratory illness and increased pollution rates as potential factors. When utilizing a tool such as this, the advantage is seeing both alternative and traditional data sources that inform an interdisciplinary approach to public health research. Following [part one](/news/2025/06/improving-public-health-decision-making-through-alternative-data-sources-part-one "Improving Public Health Decision-Making Through Alternative Data Sources: Part One"), this piece features the alternative policy recommendations from the team of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill students, based on their research with the [Institute for Technology and Global Health](https://www.itgh.org/). The three proposed policy alternatives are as follows: 1. Establish Capstone Database as a Template for Future Work 2. Organize Community-Level Stakeholder Interviews 3. Integrate Alternative Data Sources into Existing Data Strategies The team chose these three policy alternatives following a broad exploration of strategies to enhance data sharing and its application in public health. They narrowed their focus to three proposals based on their alignment with stakeholder needs, feasibility for implementation, and potential for measurable impact. The students proposed utilizing the Capstone Database because it offers a practical tool with minimal barriers which goes beyond the scope of the original project. They recognized the broader value of the database and strove to make it available for use, with a larger focus on modularity and flexibility with historical, current, and future data collection methods. By doing so, relevant users and policymakers are able to expand the database beyond its initial intention. Conducting stakeholder interviews was chosen as another alternative, as the team attempted to conduct the interviews during their research but were met with hesitation or lack of communication from potential stakeholders. As students, they lacked the rapport necessary to collect potentially sensitive insights that officials may have and the time to build that trust. Ultimately, conducting interviews with stakeholders in target ITGH cities was not feasible given the time constraint of the project. However, since the ITGH and public health officials have the capacity to build stronger community relationships, they would be more likely to conduct successful interviews and use the resulting insights to inform responsive policy. Finally, a third policy recommendation of integrating alternative data sources into existing strategies was offered as an essential method to achieving meaningful data sharing across sectors. While some technical barriers still exist, most notably around unlocking specialized datasets and ensuring capacity for integration, the benefits of this strategy make it a crucial part of any progressive data strategy. The criteria for evaluating the three policy alternatives were effectiveness, political feasibility, and technical feasibility. Each policy alternative was scored on a scale from 1 to 5 for each criterion individually, with 1 indicating poor effectiveness, political feasibility, or technical feasibility, and 5 indicating strong performance on that criterion. The scores were determined by the students and then were summed to calculate a total score for each policy alternative. For each criterion, a guiding set of questions was used to inform scoring: The proposed policy alternatives above are rated and analyzed as follows: ## Establish Capstone Database as a Template for Future Work This demonstrated moderate effectiveness (3.5), low political feasibility (2), and high technical feasibility (5). While the database promotes cross-sector collaboration by organizing traditional and alternative data sources in an accessible format, its limited number of sources and lack of a formal linking guide reduces its overall impact. Strong support exists among local stakeholders and environmental justice advocates to advance and protect public health through the integration of accessible traditional and alternative data sources; however, recent federal resistance to data transparency lowers its political feasibility. Technically, the database was designed for ease of use and integration using Microsoft Excel®, requiring no additional resources to implement, making it highly feasible from a technical standpoint. Additionally, codified variables and easy download options enable users to upload the database into data analysis softwares such as R, C++, Python, Stata, and more. For future use and streamlined collaboration among stakeholders, users are encouraged to expand upon the database by adding datasets and specific variables to analyze the data as needed. The students created [a quick demo video displaying the database’s tabs](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V8Z64v9xaZmAmDsGiuBtngRFT6ycE8n1/view?usp=sharing), which was presented live with explanation to ITGH staff To improve database accessibility, the team could add voiceover to the video, creating a fully virtual walkthrough that could be used remotely at any time. Another way to improve the database would be to insert a search filter that allows users to locate categories more readily rather than scrolling and switching between tabs. If a user is accessing the Capstone Database in Excel, they may use PivotTable functions to customize their search results. Through this, users may more quickly locate their inquiries outside of using a coding software. If creating their own database, stakeholders should prioritize the collection of source diversity and data quality. To ensure a more comprehensive understanding of the topic and reduce the potential for alternative datasets to be less reliable than traditional datasets,, it is crucial to include a wide variety of alternative sources to further validate findings. Additionally, groups should confirm any datasets included address at least one or more of the codified variables to establish strong relevance. ## Organize Community-Level Stakeholder Interviews This revealed strong effectiveness (4.5), low political feasibility (1), and high technical feasibility (5). Stakeholder interviews can illuminate local public health insights and data-sharing challenges that may otherwise be overlooked, especially when the ITGH staff are not local to the regions being assessed. While interviews themselves do not create tangible change, they can inform more responsive, community-driven policy. However, previous attempts by the team to engage stakeholders were met with resistance due to privacy concerns and the current political climate, lowering the feasibility of implementation. Technically, this alternative is highly feasible as it requires minimal resources and offers qualitative insights without the need for advanced tools or infrastructure. A recent Data-Smart City Solutions article by ITGH president Khahlil Louisy, explores [the role of civic participation in public health decision-making](https://datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/power-people-transforming-civic-participation-public-health), and provides additional insights and examples of public health engagement. ## Alternative Data Sources in Existing Data Strategies This demonstrated high effectiveness (5), strong political feasibility (4), and moderate technical feasibility (3). This alternative would support real-time public health decision-making through the integration of alternative data sources into existing systems, enhancing both scope and responsiveness. The support among local governments and public health agencies to modernize infrastructure allows this alternative to be politically feasible. However, while many alternative data sources are accessible and usable with current technology, challenges remain in accessing more specialized datasets and ensuring technical capacity for integration, which slightly lowers its technical feasibility score. For example, certain social media analytics and platform-level trend data, often only available to platform administrators, may offer valuable insights but are not publicly accessible. Each of these policy alternatives offer unique strengths and challenges across effectiveness, political feasibility, and technical feasibility. Notably, the integration of alternative data sources into existing strategies emerged as the most immediately promising approach, balancing high effectiveness and political feasibility with manageable technical demands. However, the path forward should not rely on one single strategy. Instead, a multifaceted approach that combines the accessibility and replicability of databases like Capstone, the deep insights gained through community engagement, and the agility of alternative data integration can collectively enhance public health decision-making. This will not only support immediate and short-term public health goals, but create a foundation for a healthier, safer, and more resilient future. ## About the Authors ### ITGH Data Team The Institute for Technology and Global Health (ITGH) Data Team is a spring 2025 capstone group comprised of students Elizabeth Leigh Zillioux, Tom Joe Dominic, Jynessa June King-Garcia, Iman Abdi, Ahmed Adam El-Halabi, and Mary Margaret Gilbert. Recent graduates of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, these six students spent a semester working with ITGH on a research project centered on understanding barriers and improving access to public health data. See also:- [ Environment ](/topics/environment) - [ Public Health ](/topics/public-health) Share on:- [ Facebook ](#) - [ Twitter ](#) - [ Linkedin ](#)