Assessing the public health informatics workforce in Texas local health departments

Resumo

Introduction As health disparities persist and our technological capabilities continue to evolve, a well-trained and representative workforce in public health informatics has become crucial. Methods A mixed-methods approach with purposive sampling was utilized to explore the current public health informatics infrastructure within Texas local health departments (Objective 1) and to identify current workforce assets and challenges (Objective 2). Data was collected via an online survey and virtual interviews with key informants. Survey questions included organizational-level questions relating to informatics-related practices and corresponded to specific maturity levels from the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) framework. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were utilized to summarize and synthesize insights derived from the data. Results For questions regarding data collection, data sharing, and information dissemination, over half of local health departments (LHDs) selected responses at the “systematic” or “optimized” capability maturity levels (i.e., have department-wide processes supported by policies). However, almost half of LHDs selected responses in the “absent” or “initial” capability maturity levels (i.e., only ad hoc efforts exist) for questions regarding support for informatics-related training and support. Interviews further revealed that a wide range of staff and programs beyond epidemiology supported informatics-related practices; however, reso

Tipo

Artigo

Área

Saúde

Ano

2026

Idioma

Inglês

Licença

CC BY

DOI

10.3389/fpubh.2026.1895129

Como citar (ABNT)

LEOS, Rhoda A. et al.. Assessing the public health informatics workforce in Texas local health departments. Frontiers in Public Health, v. 14, 2026. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1895129.