Consumers, healthcare providers, public health professionals, employers, policymakers, and others recognize that ready access to relevant, reliable information would greatly improve everyone’s ability to address personal and community health concerns. 2,3 Medical errors and adverse effects have been documented to be severe problems for which information is a crucial part of the solution. 4,5 Public health professionals know from experience that timely and complete information on abnormal patterns of disease and other public health threats would help them save lives in their communities. Health emergencies, whether personal, local, or national, all require that prompt and authoritative information about the situation, its consequences, and any victim(s) be readily available to those involved. The national goal of eliminating significant health disparities associated with.
