Researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City have launched an online dashboard that provides data on 36 key health measures, including heart disease and breast cancer deaths, for all 435 congressional districts in the U.S. The tool is meant to guide lawmakers' decisions on health policy.
In addition to data on the prevalence of different diseases and causes of deaths, it includes data on social determinants of health, such as housing affordability and food access. Before this tool, most of this data was not compiled in a single location or available at the congressional district level.
"The Congressional District Health Dashboard will help fill a critical need for timely, rigorous and actionable data that can inform evidence-based policymaking," Marc Gourevitch, MD, chair of NYU Langone Health's department of population health, said in Jan. 25 a news release. "Now, policymakers, advocates and others can drill down to their specific congressional districts to identify the opportunities and challenges affecting the health and well-being of all the people they serve, regardless of income, race or zip code."
Access the dashboard here.