The Risk Behind “Easy Answers”
Public health teams are moving faster than ever—juggling grants, reporting, and community health initiatives. Tools, like AI, promise to speed things up, but as discussed in Champ Software’s recent expert webinar featuring Erin Lord-Kunz (RHIhub), we should not trade the convenience of AI for authority. They are not always the same, nor is AI always the correct authoritative source. Trusted data matters in public health.
There is a place for AI in public health. We’ll talk about that in this blog series. Let’s start with why we should be sure we’re not trading authoritative sources for convenience.
Broad research shows that large language models can produce confident but incorrect or unverified outputs, often referred to as “hallucinations”, and that these systems generate text based on statistical probability rather than verified truth.
Pulse Check Points
What Makes a Data Source Reliable?
Not all data sources are equal. The Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub) is a gold standard for data that guarantees data is accurate, reliable, and has been humanly vetted. That credibility comes from its structure as a federally supported, curated resource that connects users directly to source data and evidence-based content. Learn more about how RHIhub is built and maintained here.
Curated platforms like RHIhub also organize information by topic and connect users directly to underlying research and datasets, making it easier to verify and apply information in practice.
Unlike AI systems—which generate responses based on statistical patterns in language rather than validating each claim against a curated source base—platforms like RHIhub provide traceable, source-linked information grounded in real data.
Data “Chain of Custody” As a Public Health Grant Differentiator
When you are working on a grant application in public health, or in any area, one of the valuable pieces of the application process is citing proof to back up your application request for funding. Grants are competitive and citing resources that can be traced back to a source that is valid, reliable and meaningful may set your grant application apart from hundreds of others. This means the proof you offer should be traceable to the source. RHIhub supports traceability because each data set includes a citation back to an authentic, reliable source. This ability to move from a statistic to its original source is a defining feature of RHIhub’s data tools.
This “chain of custody” ensures:
- Every statistic can be traced back
- Sources can be verified
- Data can be defended in grant applications, research or other documentation
Why Do Sources Matter for Public Health Grant Applications More Now
Public health is entering an era where:
- Data is scrutinized more closely
- Funding depends on accuracy
- AI use is being monitored
In July 2025, the National Institute of Health (NIH) introduced polices to ensure grant applications are original and do not “rely heavily on generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Those policies took effect September 25, 2025. NIH not only uses tools to detect AI use on the initial applications but reserves the right to use the AI detection tools on the applications after grant funds were already awarded for applications after September 25, 2025. If AI generated content that breaches their policy is detected on those applications, NIH may suspend, terminate, or modify the funds awarded.