The physician's role in public health statistics and surveillance.

For over ten years, the Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) has sponsored the monthly submission of Health by Numbers to Medicine & Health/Rhode Island. The principal reason for this collaboration has been to offer physicians a statewide perspective of the health status of the population and the characteristics of the health care system. A second reason has been to demonstrate to physicians the capacity of HEALTH’s data systems to produce statistical measures and surveillance indicators for the state’s population and heath care system. Both purposes are intended to support physicians in their roles as practitioners, researchers, teachers, and administrators.