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History of the Forum

The Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics (Forum) was initially established in 1986, with the goal of bringing together Federal agencies that share a common interest in improving aging-related data. The Forum has played a key role by critically evaluating existing data resources and limitations, stimulating new database development, encouraging cooperation and data sharing among Federal agencies, and preparing collaborative statistical reports. In addition to the original three core agencies (National Institute on Aging, National Center for Health Statistics and Census Bureau), the organizing members of the Forum now include senior officials from the Administration for Community Living (formerly the Administration on Aging), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Veterans Affairs, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Management and Budget, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Social Security Administration, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Goals of the Forum

The Forum’s mission is to encourage cooperation and collaboration among Federal agencies in order to improve the quality and utility of data on the aging population.

The specific goals of the Forum are:

• Widening access to information on the aging population through periodic publications and other means.
• Promoting communication among data producers, researchers, and public policymakers.
• Coordinating the development and use of statistical databases among Federal agencies.
• Identifying information gaps and data inconsistencies.
• Investigating questions of data quality.
• Encouraging cross-national research and data collection on the aging population.
• Addressing concerns regarding collection, access, and dissemination of data.