Health commission pushes use of data in health decision making

Greater political will, technical capacity, and community engagement are the keys to ensuring policymakers make the best decisions encompassing all aspects of health, according to an expert report released Tuesday.

The 25-member 3-D Commission — the three Ds are data, social determinants of health, and decision-making — argues that a lack of leadership, prioritization, and investment is to blame for the slow uptake of data-driven actions that consider all factors in people’s health, including environmental, commercial, and cultural elements.

Backed by the Rockefeller Foundation and overseen by the Boston University School of Public Health, the group of commissioners included public health academics and advocates, as well as representatives from Facebook and Microsoft. Their report defines the social determinants of health as “all forces outside the body that affect health.”