Table 2.
Purpose categories and example statements among dashboards that provided a statement of purpose (n=55).
| Purpose category | Values, n (%) | Example statements |
| Data accessibility | 35 (64) | Idaho Vital Statistics Natality Dashboard [33]a: “The Division of Public Health’s Strategic Plan has identified priority areas which include leveraging and using data more effectively across the Division as well as improving data accessibility for use by stakeholders (i.e., public health agencies, health systems, decision-makers, and the public). The data found on this website are intended to help the Division of Public Health achieve those priority area strategic goals.” |
| Program planning and needs assessment | 24 (44) | Georgia Online Analytical Statistical Information System (OASISb) [34]: “OASIS plays an integral role in program planning, which includes determining target population areas, formulating financial plans, monitoring program effectiveness, program evaluation and reporting program outcomes. Use OASIS data querying tools to: develop profiles and report cards for counties or districts; assess community health needs, prioritize health problems, and evaluate programs; assemble data for grant writing, health analysis, special projects or state legislative reporting.” |
| Accountability for government and organizations | 14 (25) | Missouri HealthNet Managed Care Quality Dashboard [35]: “The purpose of the Medicaid Managed Care Quality Dashboard is to provide transparency and accountability in the health care provided to Missouri’s Medicaid participants.” |
| Program evaluation and monitoring | 14 (25) | Montana Children’s Health Data Dashboard [36]: “The Montana Children’s Health Data Dashboard highlights ten shared measures identified by early childhood health stakeholders. Stakeholders and early childhood coalitions can use these measures to track outcomes and demonstrate the impact of their work.” |
| Research | 8 (15) | Hawai’i Health Data Warehouse [37]: “The Hawai’i Health Data Warehouse is dedicated to providing useful data to support public health professionals, researchers, the community and health agencies to become more effective in the application of health data.” |
| Quality improvement | 7 (13) | Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Perinatal Dashboard [38]: “This rich data source makes it possible to identify and track patient safety concerns for the purpose of learning how to mitigate patient safety risks and reduce harm across healthcare settings nationally.” |
| Policy making and goal setting | 4 (7) | Kansas Health Matters [39]: “Kansas Health Matters is intended to help hospitals, health departments, community members and policy makers learn about the health of the community and ways to help improve it.... Master planners and government representatives can use this data to establish community goals on a variety of platforms.” |
| Individual decision-making | 4 (7) | New Jersey Maternal Health Hospital Report Card [40]: “This is an informational resource tool that provides important data on maternal health care provided in New Jersey licensed birthing general acute care hospitals. In determining the best hospital for you, you may review the information provided in this report.” |
| Other | 10 (18) | March of Dimes Peristats [41]: “Data are updated throughout the year, and useful for multiple tasks, including fact-finding,...lectures and presentations.” |
aReference numbers refer to the order of appearance in Multimedia Appendix 1.
bOASIS: Online Analytical Statistical Information System.