Background
Medical examiner and coroner offices conduct medicolegal death investigations (MDIs) to determine the cause and manner of sudden unexpected deaths. MDI offices play a crucial role in monitoring public health issues and collecting data that contributes to saving lives.
Increasing deaths from drug overdoses, suicides, homicides and more have resulted in MDI offices with record caseloads. Outdated methods of sharing MDI data, like faxing and paper-based systems, are inefficient and resource-intensive. Manual data entry may lead to errors and delay public health’s ability to use the data for response efforts.
By collaborating with data sharing partners, software vendors and others, MDI offices are implementing standards-based data exchange. Through the automation of workflows and integration of data sources, electronic information exchange is improving the timeliness and completeness of death investigation. Modernizing MDI data practices improves public health’s ability to monitor evolving health trends and create data-driven interventions to save lives without increasing the burden on MDI offices.
LEARN MORE
MDI Connect can help.
MDI Connect is a forum for medical examiner and coroner offices, their data sharing partners and software vendors to design, build and test standards-based data exchange practices. Using the data standard FHIR®—Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources, pronounced “fire”—allows for scalability and information sharing using a defined set of tools across partners from public health, public safety, toxicology labs and health systems.
MDI Connect provides support in two primary ways.
LEARNING NETWORK
MDI offices and their data sharing partners engage in peer-to-peer networking and learning activities. Participants share insights into data-exchange practices in virtual and in-person forums and support each other in overcoming common obstacles.
RESOURCES FOR MDI OFFICES AND IT DEVELOPERS
A variety of resources have been developed for MDI offices to advance data exchange projects. Guides tailored to IT developers on standards-based data exchange and adoption can also be accessed.
Explore more real-world examples of MDI data exchange projects currently being implemented.
MDI Connect Participation and Funding Questions
1. How do I get involved with MDI Connect?
MDI Connect provides content and materials for participants to learn about data modernization, including standards-based data exchange, application programming interface (APIs) and other topics related to their projects. To learn more:
- Join the MDI Connect mailing list
- Contact an MDI Connect participating site
- Contact the CDC Foundation MDI Connect team
2. How can I apply for funding?
The CDC Foundation shares announcements on the Requests for Proposals page. Join the MDI Connect mailing list for announcements about future funding opportunities if available.
3. Do I have to be an active awardee to participate?
No. While most of the participating sites in MDI Connect are funded projects, assistance is also provided to MDI offices that are working on similar data exchange cases but may have different funding sources. MDI Connect collaborates with Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and others to provide technical assistance.
4. We participated in the past and have ideas for new use cases. Can we be funded again?
Each funding announcement has its own conditions and restrictions. The opportunity to participate in additional grant-funded projects with CDC Foundation will be contingent on funds received from the CDC and other donors. Future opportunities may allow previously funded MDI offices to submit applications for funding.
This project is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $2,726,393.00 funded by CDC/HHS through Medical Examiner and Coroner Data Modernization Implementer's Group and $2,097,363.00 funded by non-government source(s). The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials support for MDI Connect is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (CDC/HHS), under Cooperative Agreement OT18-1802 Strengthening Public Health Systems and Services through National Partnerships to Improve and Protect the Nation’s Health. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government. HL7® and FHIR® are the registered trademarks of Health Level Seven (HL7) International and their use of these trademarks does not constitute an endorsement by HL7.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- United States of America