Next Steps

As previously mentioned, we intend for this document to be a starting point, a “to do” for a consolidated regional environmental health information inventory and data needs assessment.  Given the breadth of the topic, and the ever-changing nature of data, we propose the following as potential next steps:

·         Solicit feedback on the initial draft from experts and non-experts for each of the areas covered by this report.  There clearly wasn’t time to speak with everyone who could have provided insight, and there are likely still errors and omissions of important items.

·         Post the static document online in a format that’s easily readable and accessible, to help solicit feedback.

·         Expand some of the sections on data topics that we didn’t have time to include or address in much depth.

·         Determine options for posting the document online as more of a “living” interactive document that allows feedback—e.g., as a Wiki, or through incorporation into one of the online data systems being developed by other local organizations.

·         Determine how this project can inform related endeavors, be they local or state-level, so that they may benefit from our work.

·         Explore some of the political and systemic barriers to furthering the environmental health data base, so that future endeavors take such barriers into consideration.  While we did receive some meaningful input in this area, we do not yet feel qualified to assess such factors in an informed and constructive fashion.