State Alternatives for Health Data Continuity
Project Overview
The federal government has long played a leading role in collecting and publishing data on key health policy and public health issues in the United States. Recent developments, however, have resulted in uncertainty about whether the federal government will continue to collect and publish various important data sources used by researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders.
In response to this uncertainty, SHADAC has embarked on a project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to investigate:
What gaps could be created if the federal government were to reduce its investments in collection and publication of survey-based health data, and
The feasibility of various options to filling those potential state-level data gaps.
The project will entail a data scan to catalogue health-related question domains available in numerous federal surveys to assess what state-level health data gaps could be created if certain data sources were to become unavailable or less robust. This scan will also include consideration of the impacts of reduced ability to produce disaggregated data by demographic characteristics, as well as geography (e.g., state).
In addition, the project will also include conversations with a variety of stakeholders—such as researchers, state agencies, foundations, and others—to assess what health policy and public health challenges could arise from potential data gaps, and what alternatives may be available for filling certain data gaps.
For more information about our State Alternatives for Health Data Continuity project, contact SHADAC here.
Project Publications and Resources
Below, you'll find a list of publications and resources created as a part of this project.
Blog, September 2025: The Unique Role of Federal Surveys for Measuring Child and Adolescent Health
Blog, August 2025: Navigating a Path Forward Through Health Data Uncertainty
Last updated September 8, 2025.