The Role of Public Health Informatics in the Coordination of Consistent Messaging from Local Health Departments and Public Health Partners During COVID-19

Introduction: Efficient communication and collaboration among local health departments (LHDs), healthcare organizations, governmental entities, and other community stakeholders are critical for public health preparedness and response. This study evaluates (1) the impact of informatics on LHDs’ frequency and collaboration in creating consistent COVID-19 messaging; (2) the influence of informatics on targeted messaging for vulnerable populations; and (3) LHD characteristics linked to their consistent and/or targeted messaging engagement. Methods: This study analyzed the 2020 National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) Forces of Change (FOC) survey, the COVID-19 Edition. Of the 2390 LHDs invited to complete the core questionnaire, 905 were asked to fill out the module questionnaire as well. The response rate for the core was 24% with 587 responses, while the module received 237 responses, achieving a 26% response rate. Descriptive analyses and six logistic regression models were utilized. Results: Over 80% (183) of LHDs collaborated regularly with public health partners, and 95% (222) used information management applications for COVID-19. Most interacted with local and state agencies, but only half with federal ones. LHDs that exchanged data with local non-health agencies, engaged with local non-health agencies, and communicated weekly to daily with the public about long-term/assisted care had higher odds of creating consistent messages for the public, and about the use and reuse of masks had lower odds of collaborating with public health partners to develop consistent messages for the public. Conclusion: Our findings underscore the centrality of informatics infrastructure and collaboration in ensuring equitable public health messaging. Strengthening public health agencies and investing in targeted training are crucial for effective communication across the communities served by these agencies.