IBIS-PH Indicator Profiles Contents and Usage

What Is an Indicator?

An indicator is a numeric measure that depicts the status of a population or a health system on a core public health construct.

What Are Indicator Profiles?

An Indicator Profile is a brief online report that contains numerical and contextual data for a specific public health issue. This includes its public health context, what the current status is, and what is being done to improve it. Each Indicator Profile has a chart (or several charts) to give a picture of the data. Text is also provided to answer the most commonly asked questions about the specific issue/indicator addressed.

After looking at the Indicator Profile for a specific measure, if more detailed numerical data is needed, the Custom Query System is available, or the program office can be contacted directly using the information available in the Indicator Profile footer (at the bottom of the page).

Accessing Indicator Profiles

IBIS-PH has over 100 Indicator Profiles currently published. You can find indicators in two ways:
  • Alphabetical Index - Indicators are listed in alphabetical order by their titles.
  • Categorized Index - Indicators are placed in any of several categorization schemes, such as by program, by data source, or by HP2010 focus area, etc.

Indicator Profile Graphs

Each indicator has a default graph that comes up on the indicator main page. Below the graph the data source is listed as well a link, 'View Graph Values', which is a table of data points used in the graph. Other Views (if any) are listed below the data source.

IBIS-PH graphs can be displayed using SVG (scalable vector graphics) or as a JPEG. See the Graphic Display Preference page to learn more about these two options and to select which type of graphic you would like to use.

Indicator Profile Navigation Buttons

Below are descriptions of each of the pages available from the left navigation buttons.

  • Important Facts

    The Important Facts page shows, at a minimum, the following sections:
    • Definition
    • Numerator
    • Denominator
    • Why Is This Important?
    • Healthy People 2010 Objective (if applicable)

    Other available sections include:
    • Data Interpretation Issues
    • Other Objectives
    • How Does Utah Compare With the U.S.?
    • How Are We Doing?
    • What Is Being Done?
    • Other Program Information

  • Graphical Views

    The Graphical Views button lists all the views available for this indicator. The graph views are also listed on the main page under "Other Views".

  • Related Indicators

    There are four Related Indicators pages:
    • Relevant Population Characteristics
    • Health Care System Factors
    • Risk Factors
    • Health Status Outcomes
    These pages allow users to see how the current indicator might be related to other indicators.

  • Available Services

    If there are services available to the public in regards to this indicator they are listed on the Available Services page.

  • Other Resources & Links

    The Other Resources & Links page lists other places where more information can be found for this indicator.

  • Complete Profile

    The Complete Profile lists all the information available for this indicator on one page. It includes everything from the above pages as well as all graphical views and their data tables.
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Indicators may be used in the following ways:

  • Chart Progress

    • Track and evaluate progress toward goals
    • Get information to use for program development
    • Take pride in accomplishment and quality of public health programs
    • Enhance our ability to do public health assessment
    • Foster an environment of accountability
    • Demonstrate cost-effectiveness

  • Decision-making and Focus

    • Allocate resources effectively
    • Guide policy decisions, priorities, and strategic plans
    • Provide information that will be useful for decision-making
    • Develop, focus, and streamline data collection and reporting capacity in the Department
    • Streamline measurement and reporting, so we can focus on measures that are high-priority
    • Standardize and promote familiarity with definitions of priority measures
    • Provide focus to data analysis and support functions

  • Understand Data and Provide Education

    • Provide a communication tool to educate the public on what public health does and the difference that it makes
    • Compare trends across time to demonstrate improvement or decline in health status
    • Compare measures across population subgroups to identify target groups for interventions
    • Ensure adequate understanding of public health data commonly used in decision-making
    • Provide public health context to better understand the meaning of public health data
    • Maintain data and information in a central location for easy access later for use in producing reports, grant applications, and presentations
    • Provide an integrated view of public health services to our customers
    • Provide an integrated view of our customer to all public health practitioners

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Center for Health Data, Utah Department of Health, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-2101, Telephone: 801-538-9191, Fax: 801-538-9346
The information provided above is from the Utah Department of Health's Center for Health Data IBIS-PH web site (http://ibis.health.utah.gov). The information published on this website may be reproduced without permission. Please use the following citation: "Retrieved Thu, 07 August 2008 18:52:40 from Utah Department of Health, Center for Health Data, Indicator-Based Information System for Public Health Web site: http://ibis.health.utah.gov".

Content updated: Tue, 4 Mar 2008 17:42:34 MST