AI Use Policy Template for Health Departments and Companion Guide

As health departments continue to explore the use of artificial intelligence (AI), establishing clear expectations for its responsible use is becoming increasingly important.

To assist organizations at every stage of their AI journey, the Kansas Health Institute (KHI) has developed two complementary resources:

• AI Use Policy Template for Health Departments
• Companion to the AI Use Policy Template for Health Departments

The AI Use Policy Template for Health Departments (hereafter, the AI Use Policy Template) provides health departments with a ready-to-complete artificial intelligence (AI) use policy organized into clearly labeled sections with checkboxes and fillable fields. It guides departments through defining how AI will be used, who the policy applies to and how to address allowable and prohibited uses using a risk-based framework. In this context, AI refers to computer systems and technologies, ranging from predictive analytics to generative tools, that process data to perform tasks such as analyzing information, generating text or images, or supporting decisions and recommendations that would otherwise require human judgment. It is intended as a starting point and should be adapted to reflect your department’s specific context, needs and applicable laws.

This AI Use Policy Template is accompanied by the Companion to the AI Use Policy Template for Health Departments (hereafter, the Companion Guide). The Companion Guide provides detailed instruction for completing the policy and explains the purpose of each section, why it matters and considerations for selecting among the available options. Together, the template and guide are designed to support local and state health departments of varying sizes, capacities and levels of AI experience.

The AI Use Policy Template also supports rural proofing. Throughout the document, specific checkboxes, fields and columns are included to capture rural-specific realities such as staffing constraints, limited broadband, smaller data volumes and greater distance to services. This allows health departments to incorporate their own rural conditions directly into their AI use policy.

How to Use the Template and Companion Guide

Work through each section of the AI Use Policy Template alongside the corresponding section of the guide. For each section of the template, the guide explains what it means and what to consider when making choices. As you make decisions about how to build each section of your policy based on the proposed options, consider your department’s needs, capacity, operational practices and other relevant factors.

Tailor the template to fit your needs. Add, remove or modify sections and components within sections as needed to reflect your department’s operations, responsibilities and risk environment. Most checklists in the template include an “Other: ______” option to allow departments to add items that may not already be listed. A policy that accurately reflects your department’s actual operations is generally more practical and sustainable than one designed to address every possible scenario regardless of applicability.

Terminology: For the purposes of this policy, “AI tools and systems” refers to any artificial intelligence-based tools, systems, platforms or services used to perform, support or automate departmental functions. These terms will be used throughout this policy.

Learn more

Download the AI Use Policy Template.

Download the Companion Guide.

Acknowledgments

The AI Use Policy Template and accompanying Companion Guide were developed by the Kansas Health Institute (KHI). The content was informed by Developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policies for Public Health Organizations: A Template and Guidance. It also draws on KHI’s direct work with public health departments developing AI policies and governance approaches, including work with the Guam Department of Health and Social Services. These resources were also developed in response to a request from the Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials (CALPHO) and informed by feedback from local public health agencies across Colorado. Portions of the structure and formatting were adapted from data governance policy and instruction guide materials developed by Flourish and Thrive Labs.

Legal Disclaimer

This template is intended for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is not a substitute for consultation with legal counsel or other qualified professionals. Health departments should consult their own legal and other advisors before adopting or implementing an artificial intelligence use policy and should adapt this template to meet the needs of their individual organization.

Because AI technologies, regulations and best practices continue to evolve, health departments should regularly review and update their policies to ensure ongoing relevance and compliance. The authors make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, regarding the content of this template. Links to third-party content are provided for reference only, and the authors do not guarantee the accuracy or reliability of information provided by third parties.

This work is supported by funds made available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Center for STLT Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, through OE22-2203: Strengthening U.S. Public Health Infrastructure, Workforce, and Data Systems grant. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CDC/HHS or the U.S. Government.