This document discusses the importance of health information systems (HIS) and how to assess them. It defines HIS as information processing and storage systems that can be within a single institution or across multiple healthcare organizations. HIS are important because they produce data needed by various stakeholders to better manage health services and monitor progress towards health goals. The key components of an HIS include inputs, processes, outputs, and dissemination/use of information. Basic steps for assessing an HIS involve forming terms of reference, collecting and reviewing data, identifying indicators, designing assessment tools, analyzing results, and making recommendations. The document also provides an example assessment of Cameroon's HIS using the WHO Health Metrics Network framework.

1. By:
Samreen Soomro
Afshan Jokhio
Ambreen Bashir
Abdul Nasir
Health Information System (HIS): Its
Importance and Assessment

2. CONTENTS
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 Introduction
 Goals
 Importance Of HIS
 Components Of HIS
 Basic Steps For HIS Assessment
 Assessment Of HIS
 Conclusion
 Recommendation

3. Goal
 Improve participant’s knowledge on health
information system.
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4. Definitions
 Information System
Provide specific information support to the decision-
making process at each level of an organization
(Winter, A. 2010)
 Health Information System (HIS)
 An information processing and storing subsystem
of a health care organization.
 May be a single institution(a hospital) or a group
of health care institutions (health care network)
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5. Importance of a Health Information
System
 Produces information needed by
 Patients, communities, service providers,
programmer
managers, policy-makers, providers of funds,
global
agencies and organizations
 Information used for
 Better management, assess coverage and
quality of services; costs and expenditures.
 Detect and control emerging and endemic
health problems
 Monitor progress towards health goals; and
promote equity.5

6. Importance of a Health Information
System
 Strengthen the evidence base for effective health
policies
 Improve management related to mobilizing new
resources and ensure accountability of their
use.
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7. Components of a HIS
 Inputs
 HIS resources
 Processes
 Indicators
 Data sources
 Data management
 Output
 Information products
 Dissemination and use
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8. Components of a HIS cont….
 HIS resource
 Legislative, regulatory and planning frameworks
 Personnel, finances, logistics support.
 Indicators
 Determinants of health; health system inputs,
outputs and outcomes.
 Data sources
 Individual records, service records and
resource records.
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9. Components of a HIS cont….
 Data management
 Data collection, storage, quality-assurance and
flow, processing, compilation and analysis
 Information products
 Data transformed into information for evidence
and knowledge to shape health action
 Dissemination and use
 Making information readily accessible to decision-
makers
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10. Basic Steps For HIS
Assessment:
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 Formulate TOR
 Assembling and review information
 Confirmation of the services
 Identification of the indicators
 Designing & testing the assessment tools.

11. Continue……
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 Prepare for field data collection
 Conduct the assessment
 Analyze the result and prepare report
 Formulate the recommendation and prepare
followup

12. Assessment of a HIS
Health Metrics Network tool
 Use to assess components of HIS on a scale of
0-100%
 0-24%=not adequate
 25-49%= present but not adequate
 50-74%= adequate
 75-100%= highly adequate
(WHO; HMN framework 2005)12

13. Assessment of HIS cont….
Cameroons HIS
 Assessment outcome 2007 places HIS at 45%
i.e…..
 Characterized by
Personnel with inadequate knowledge on HIS.
Untimely and failure to report data
Inadequate resources
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14. Conclusion
 Better and stronger HIS can resolved
inadequacies in health systems.
 Awareness of the importance and components of
a HIS is a prerequisite to all those involved with
its activities
 Self -assessment of HIS is necessary for its
strengthening and use for better decisions and
better health.
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15. Recommendations
 Assignment of skilled personnel to the HIS unit
accompanied by better remuneration
 The dissemination and use of information from
the system for decision-making.
 More emphasis on electronic than paper-based
data reporting
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16. WE HOPE THIS WAS
INFORMATIVE
THANKS FOR YOUR KIND
ATTENTION
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