This page is part of the Bidirectional Services eReferrals (BSeR) (v0.2.0: STU 1 on FHIR STU3 Ballot 2) based on FHIR R3. The current version which supercedes this version is 1.0.0. For a full list of available versions, see the Directory of published versions 
The requirements fulfilled by this specification were driven primarily by the needs of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), a division within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). NCCDPHP supports a variety of activities that improve the nationΓÇÖs health by preventing chronic diseases and their risk factors. Program activities include one or more of its major functions: supporting statesΓÇÖ implementation of public health programs; public health surveillance; translation research; health communication; and developing tools and resources for stakeholders at the national, state, and community levels.
Chronic diseasesΓÇösuch as heart disease, cancer, chronic lung diseases, stroke, and type 2 diabetesΓÇöaccount for most deaths in the United States and globally. They are the major causes of sickness, disability, and health care costs in the nation. Chronic diseases are responsible for 7 in 10 deaths among Americans each year, and the vast majority of health care costs. Chronic diseases are common, costly, and debilitating, and they can often be prevented. By choosing healthy behaviorsΓÇölike avoiding tobacco, eating and drinking healthy foods and beverages, and getting regular physical activity and enough sleepΓÇöpeople can reduce their chance of getting a chronic disease or improve their health and quality of life if they already have a chronic disease.
The programs operated by the NCCDPHP include:
Through the programs operated by the NCCDPHP, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) works to prevent chronic diseases and reduce their health and financial costs with an approach that brings together monitoring to understand the problems, communities to work toward solutions and support healthy behaviors, and health care systems to detect problems early and help reduce or eliminate unhealthy behaviors.
NCCDPHP works to prevent chronic diseases and reduce their health and financial costs by working in conjunction with healthcare systems, healthcare payer organizations, and community organizations to work toward solutions and support healthy behaviors. The BSeR Data Exchange Standards Development Project is part of that larger effort.
