There are a number of barriers and challenges public health departments face when it comes to collecting data, including the ever changing role of public health, lack of informatics and IT system training, and of course, funding constraints. But as the report points out, an integrative and collaborative data-sharing approach between public health practitioners and healthcare providers in the future will lead to a better understanding for assessing and improving population health. Public health informatics will play a key role in defining technical issues and providing solutions that will make sharing and using information feasible.