| Organization: | Office of Problem Gambling Services Department of Public Health |
|---|---|
| Date published: | July 7, 2022 |
Overview
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), Office of Problem Gambling Services (OPGS) is committed to promoting the optimal health and well-being of all residents in the Commonwealth and to ensuring they are provided with healthy and equitable communities to work and live in. Problem gambling has a high level of co-morbidity to other health issues and disproportionality impacts people and communities of color. Epidemiology is a key component of public health that guides public health efforts and strategies to prevent and mitigate harms. The OPGS Data to Action Framework ensures that problem gambling data is reliable, equitable, accessible, and actionable leading to an optimal public health response to problem gambling in the Commonwealth.
Data to Action Framework
Guided by the public health principles of engagement, empowerment, and equity, the OPGS Data to Action Framework (PDF) | (DOCX) was developed to illustrate the process through which public health data and community experience can be leveraged to inform and support each other in a mutually reinforcing feedback loop. Respecting community members as authentic partners, building partnerships, maintaining transparency, and promoting accountability are at the core of the OPGS Data to Action Framework. Centering community within this framework serves as an ongoing reminder that community stakeholders have a critical role to play in helping to:
- Contextualize and interpret public health epidemiological data
- Inform the design of relevant, culturally responsive, equitable services
- Assist in monitoring whether policies and services are producing the desired results and progressing toward overarching goals
The OPGS Data to Action Framework consists of:
- Monitoring and Surveillance: Examining public health monitoring and surveillance data to characterize and describe the issue, identify risk and protective factors, and explore driving forces (root causes).
- Contextualizing Data: Conducting community needs assessments and regional planning processes to engage community stakeholders and solicit their assistance in contextualizing and interpreting public health data.
- Comprehensive and Responsive Services: Using community insight and evidence-informed principles to develop and implement comprehensive and responsive programs and policies that center root cause, equity, intersectionality, and different levels of risk.
- Evaluation and Quality Improvement: Evaluating programs, policies, and practices and engaging communities in ongoing discussions to ensure that their perspectives and feedback remain centered in the process.
- Community Engagement and Feedback: Using ongoing community feedback to inform future monitoring and surveillance efforts, programming, and policy.