UNIT 3

• Data are crucial in improving health
• Data tell us how many people suffer from various diseases and what health services are lacking
• Statistics show us how successful policies and interventions are, for example, whether maternal mortality has decreased, whether children are immunized, whether our health goals are achievable, and strategies are on track
• Statistics alert us when we need to modify development programs and redirect resources
• From the 2021 report of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the top 10 causes of death that exceeded their baseline number of expected deaths (average of 2015-2019) during the pandemic were determined

  
• Determining excess mortality allows us to identify the causes of deaths that probably resulted from the pandemic or the response

  
• Fewer deaths from certain conditions, possibly the unintended consequences of the preventive measures against COVID-19
• To be of use, statistics must be both reliable and relevant
• Data need to be compiled correctly, following standard practices and methodology
• Data must also meet the needs of users
• The ultimate objective of collecting data is to inform health program planning, policymaking, and, ultimately, global health outcomes and equity

  
• Well-functioning health information systems empower decision-makers to manage and lead more effectively by providing useful evidence at the lowest possible cost

  
• Concern about the cost and quality of health care are among the motivating factors why health information systems are increasingly implemented across health industries worldwide
• The combination of elements in a health information system enables more efficient and effective health care services

  
• The components of a health information system are correlated and translated into harmonious operations

  
• HIS cover different systems

  • disease surveillance systems
  • district-level routine information systems
  • Hospital patient administration system (PAS)
  • human resource management information systems(HRMIS)
  • laboratory information systems (LIS)
• The information collected from a well-functioning HIS is very useful in policymaking, decision-making of health institutions, and becomes the bases for creating program action
• This translates to efficient resource allocation at the policy level and improvement of the quality and effectiveness of health at the delivery level
• HIS should be sustainable, user-friendly, and economical
• Healthcare personnel should be educated on using the routine data collected from the system and the significance of useful quality data in improving health
• On 3 June 2020, the Philippine Government's Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) that was leading the COVID-19 response formally announced via Resolution No. 43 that it has adopted COVID-KAYA as "the convergent Epidemiological Surveillance system for COVID-19" in all healthcare and testing facilities

  
• Components of Health Information Systems

  • Health information system resources
  • Indicators
  • Data sources
  • Data Quality
  • Data management
  • Information products
  • Dissemination and use

  
• Health information system resources


  Prerequisites that need to be in place for a health information system to function, including legal and policy frameworks in place supported by sufficient human and financial resources, infrastructure, etc.

  
• Indicators


  The basis of the HIS plan and strategy includes indicators and related targets such as the determinants of health, health system inputs, outputs, and outcomes, and the health status (morbidity and mortality)
• Indicators are signposts of change along the path to development
• Good performance indicators are a vital part of the results framework
• Health indicators should be valid, reliable, specific, sensitive, and feasible/affordable to measure

  
• Health indicators must also be relevant and useful for decision-making

  
• A rational selection of a set of core health indicators is essential

  
• Core indicators of a country's health information system performance

  • Indicators related to data generation using core sources and methods
  • Indicators related to country capacities for synthesis, analysis, and validation of data

  
• Microdata


  Data about individuals, households, or organizations and consists of records containing information on respondents or other entities
• Metadata


  A set of data that describes and gives information about other data
• Data sources


  • Census
  • Vital Statistics
  • Surveys
  • Health and disease records
  • Health service records
  • Administrative resource records
• Aspects of Data Quality

  • Accuracy
  • Completeness
  • Relevance
  • Consistency
  • Reliability
  • Presentability
  • Accessibility
• Data management


  Data handling, from collection and storage to data flow and quality assurance, processing, compilation, and data analysis
• Information products


  • Health status
  • Mortality
  • Morbidity
  • Health Systems
  • Risk Factors
• Dissemination and use


  • Analysis and use
  • Policy and Advocacy
  • Planning and priority-setting
  • Resource allocation
  • Implementation and action
• Inputs


  Health information system resources

  
• Process


  Indicators, data sources, and data management
• Outputs


  Transformation of data into information