Tips for Making a Data Request

If you are interested in receiving data from Prince George's County Health Department, consider the following points before submitting your data request:

State the specific question that needs to be answered.
For example, the Health Department can provide a more thorough response to the question "What racial/ethnic groups are most affected by heart disease in Prince George's County?" than if someone requests "all of the heart disease information for the County".

List the populations or groups for which county-specific data is needed.
If applicable, list the racial/ethnic groups, age groups, gender, and/or other characteristics that define a specific group which should be addressed by the data request. For example, a request may state the need to know the "number of deaths due to heart disease among African American men age 65 and over by year for 1990-2000 in Prince George's County".

Provide the time frame covered by the data request.
Clearly state if the data collected should cover a single month, year, or range of time. For example, a request may state the need to know the "number of deaths due to heart disease among African American men age 65 and over by year for 1990-2000 in Prince George's County". Please note: year is the most common and readily available time frame for which data is available.

State the geographic area which is the focus of the data request.
The most commonly used geographic area or place used when providing health data is the entire County. For example, a request may state the need to know the "number of deaths due to heart disease among African American men age 65 and over by year for 1990-2000 in Prince George's County". Data may be available for smaller geographic areas such as zip codes, census tracts, and, less frequently, by town or city.

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