Usability and usefulness of U. S. federal and state public health data dashboards: implications for improving data access and use

Usability and usefulness of public health dashboards can be significantly enhanced by streamlining and enhancing users' experience and incorporating additional customization and analytical affordances. A uniform set of best-practices and standards for optimizing dashboard design and implementation does not yet exist as research on this topic is lagging. Policy implications: Additional federal and state investments are needed to build and maintain a robust infrastructure for developing, improving, and sustaining public health dashboards and incentivize rigorous, theory grounded research to optimize usability and usefulness of dashboards.