The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and its 24 Member Boards join others in the medical, health care and safety communities in affirming our strong belief that health care data and statistics involving the incidence, hospitalization rates, mortality rates and transmission levels related to the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) must continue to be reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Administration’s newly announced policy requiring hospitals to report COVID-19 data to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), bypassing the CDC, lacks crucial transparency in the collection and dissemination of information about this virus and may have adverse and dangerous implications for decisions regarding the treatment, prevention and mitigation of the pandemic. A consistent reporting process is critical to understand the pandemic’s trajectory and changes that are occurring in the incidence and prevalence of the disease.
We urge the Administration to reconsider this abrupt change in treatment of data and call upon HHS to protect the integrity of the data collection process by making the information received available in full to all health care and safety organizations as well as the general public on a timely basis. The access to this information is essential for the advancements in science and health care needed to protect the American public.
Download American Board of Medical Specialties Statement Regarding the Importance of Reporting COVID-19 Health Care Data to the CDC[PDF]
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