Strength modeling: the role of data in defining needs and response for American Indian substance users.

Essential to clarifying the nature of health disparities and ultimately to developing appropriate responses is the access and availability of accurate, relevant data. This need is particularly obvious at the level of public health policy and practice. Unfortunately, current data sources are frequently restricted by a variety of factors, including jurisdictory limitations that restrict exchange of information between health delivery systems. This study was conducted to review conclusions drawn from disparate, yet functionally interdependent, data sources regarding alcohol-related medical outcomes among American Indians; specifically, non-reservation-residing Indian people. Data were collected from 1998 to 1999. The comparison revealed critical inconsistencies between data sources, reinforcing the call for enhanced data exchange and caution in interpreting data from singular sources.