DM Survey Questions
Initial Communication
Hello Public Health Laboratory Informatics Community! The APHL Data Modernization Subcommittee developed a survey to collect information about the data modernization of each public health laboratory. Public health at the local, state, and federal level is investing significant effort to modernize the public health system. Many of these efforts are still in the beginning stages as organizations assess their current status and prioritize and plan a series of implementation, upgrade, and enhancement projects. An open question for the Subcommittee is the extent to which labs have been included in this public health modernization initiative.
The APHL Data Modernization Subcommittee would sincerely appreciate your help in this effort and asks that you complete this survey. We anticipate that the best respondent would be someone in the role of chief informatics officer, interoperability coordinator, or informatics program manager. Please feel free to forward this survey to the appropriate person in your department. This survey will remain open for the next four weeks and will close on October 25, 2025.
2025 Data Modernization Survey
From this survey, we hope to learn:
Where organizations are in their modernization journey, and how the laboratory fits into these plans.
What are the common themes, projects, and priorities across PHL modernization, and what are the opportunities to act collectively, to learn from one another, or to develop shared solutions.
We appreciate you taking the time to respond. Your responses will inform the direction of the Subcommittee so that we can support member laboratories with their data modernization efforts. Please reach out with any questions.
Survey Instructions
The members of the Data Modernization Subcommittee developed this survey to collect information about the data modernization journey of each Public Health Laboratory (PHL).
Broadly speaking, data modernization refers to initiatives that enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of public health data systems.
We will use these responses to identify common themes, projects, and priorities across PHL modernization, as well as opportunities to act collectively, to learn from one another, or to develop shared solutions. The results will inform the priorities for the Subcommittee in calendar year 2026.
Please do not take more than 20 minutes to complete the survey. Answer briefly and to the best of your ability.
Thank you so much for your time! To download a copy of these questions, click here.
QUESTIONS
Contact
Information may be used for survey response follow-up.
Please provide the following information for the best point of contact concerning Data Modernization projects in your organization.
Name
Email
Title
Please select the state/territory that your laboratory serves.
Data Modernization Roadmaps and Reports
Does the laboratory have a Data Modernization Roadmap?
Yes / No / I don’t know
Which of the following has your organization utilized to support your data modernization journey?
Assessments
Analyses
Strategic Planning Exercises
Recommendation reports
Other, please describe
Do you feel like your lab is fully involved in data modernization planning with the organization?
For example, are data modernization priorities generally driven by programs within the lab, by organization leadership, by a combination?
Free text
Data Modernization Planning
Is your laboratory conducting any of the following modernization projects?
Development of data lake or data warehouse
Development of a data governance strategy
Instrument interfacing
System assessment
System replacement
Data Exchange / Data Sharing project
Cloud migration
Other
No Modernization Projects Planned at This Time
Depending on your response to the above question, you will be asked for more information on your data modernization project.
Free text
Are you on track to meet your data modernization goals?
Free text
Please describe any data modernization successes that you would like to highlight for your lab.
Free text
What is your dream data modernization project?
Is there a project that you would put into motion if you could that would significantly affect the modernization trajectory of your library? If so, please describe it!
Free text
Challenges, Funding, People, and Beyond
What are the funding sources for your DM work?
I'm not sure
ELC Grant
PHIG
Other Federal funding
State funding
ASTHO Implementation Centers
Other
What is your strategy to sustain data modernization projects given uncertain funding?
Free text
Describe the staff who are working on “data modernization”
Do you know who the dedicated DM staff are within the organization? Do you have dedicated DM staff at the laboratory? What are the DM staff roles/responsibilities? Please describe coordination, if any, across the laboratory, IT, and agency programs on modernization planning.
Free text
What are the top 3 challenges to meeting your data modernization goals?
For example, funding, workforce capacity, legacy systems.
Free text
Are you familiar with TEFCA?
Click here for CDC's overview of how TEFCA is expected to affect public health reporting.
Yes / No / Vaguely
How do you see TEFCA affecting your lab, if at all?
(If Yes to previous question)
Free Text
Are you familiar with FHIR?
For a description of HL7 FHIR, click here.
Yes / No / Vaguely
How is your lab preparing for FHIR?
(If Yes to previous question)
Free text
How is your lab approaching AI?
Does your laboratory have an AI policy? Is your laboratory actively incorporating AI? Are you taking a wait-and-see approach? What difficulties have you encountered? What would you like to learn from your peers?
Free text
What would help?
What tools or resources would benefit the laboratory’s modernization journey?
Free text
Is there anything else that you'd like to share with the subcommittee about data modernization?
Free text
File Upload
You can attach roadmaps, assessments, or recommendation reports to this survey, or any other relevant data modernization documents or files, if you'd like to share them with the subcommittee.