Health Information Systems

Well-functioning health information systems are required to ensure the production, analysis, dissemination and use of reliable and timely essential human resources for health (HRH) information needed for workforce planning, management and evaluation. This project aims to produce a set of indicators and domains with definitions and associated fact-sheets to establish a minimum data set to record, share, analyse and apply HRH data.

With external assistance, developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa are beginning to establish better human resources information systems (HRIS) as part of a comprehensive and integrated response to some of the fundamental challenges posed by the health crisis. While this is a positive development, it is equally important to begin thinking about simple, practical approaches for supporting HR planners and senior decision-makers to be effective leaders and managers of HR data. [from author]

This brief will discuss the concepts of data quality and provide examples of the importance of data management specific to the field of HRH, illustrated by the Capacity Project’s experience with HRIS strengthening in developing countries. [from introduction]

In order to gain an understanding of the total health workforce in Swaziland, The Capacity Project worked with senior leaders of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to develop a program to strengthen the country’s human resources information systems. [from author]

This brief describes the Capacity Project’s work with health workforce planning using HRIS in Rwanda.

This edition focuses on the role of the private sector, a part of the health system that has not previously been accorded extensive coverage in the SAHR. The contrast between the public and private sectors remains stark in many facets and the deepening inequity is cause for profound concern. The significance of the private sector cannot be underestimated both with regard to its potential contribution to the health and well-being of this country’s people, as well as its role in drawing resources (financial and human) from the public sector.

These open source software solutions each address a specific human resources for health (HRH) leadership issue: iHRIS Qualify - a training, certification and licensure tracking database; iHRIS Manage - a human resources management system; iHRIS Plan - workforce planning and modeling software; and iHRIS Retain - costing healthworker retention strategies software. [publisher’s description]

The objective [of this report is] to describe the development, initial findings, and implications of a national nursing workforce database system in Kenya. [from abstract]

Uganda has been successful in implementing the national “Health Management Information System” (HMIS). Disease surveillance reports and monitoring of key output indicators within the health sector seem to be the areas with the most remarkable advance. But little mention has been made on the importance of the use of information for monitoring performance indicators and for management/decision making purposes. The existing HMIS makes this possible.

A goal of the health management information system (HMIS) is to provide reliable, comprehensive information about the health system to health managers, to enable them take decisions that will improve the services provided to the consumers. This study assessed the utilisation of HMIS data for decision making at the grassroots level in Bufumbira East Health Sub-District (HSD) of Kisoro District. [from abstract]

This presentation was given as part of the Christian Health Association’s Conference: CHAs at a Crossroad Towards Achieving Health Millennium Development Goals. It introduces geographic information systems (GIS), human resource information systems (HRIS) and the Christian Social Services Commission (CSSC). It outlines the progress made in creating the systems, the benefits and reasons to have GIS and HRIS and presents the preliminary results in terms of health infrastructure, human resources and programs and interventions.

This review of the South African Health Information System (HIS) maps essential health-related information, discusses the District Health Information System, details the current status of the HIS and the challenges the HIS faces.

Public health decision-making is critically dependent on the timely availability of sound data. The role of health information systems is to generate, analyse and disseminate such data. In practice, health information systems rarely function systematically. This article discusses some of the historical problems inherent in these systems and describes the Health Metrics Network, a global collaboration intended to help bring solutions to the countries most in need. [adapted from abstract]

This document was presented at the ECSA Workforce Observatory Meeting in Arusha and describes an initiative in Malawi to provide regularly updated HRH information through an HRIS system including the current problems with collecting data, the steps to create the initiative and the indicators they will need.

This paper reports on research investigating the health management information system (HMIS) implementation process in Uganda, utilizing the diffusion of innovation and dynamic equilibrium organizational change models.

This report reviews the implementation of a Health Management Information System (HMIS) in Tanzania to determine its success, identify issues and constraints, asses key issues, and identify additional capacity requirements.

This tool permits countries to compare performance with objective standards for health information and provides the basis for evaluation of country health information systems. The tool consists of a standardized questionnaire through which the current status of the health information system is evaluated against specific criteria. The tool provides both a baseline asssesment, diagnosis of critical gaps in health information results, processes, context and resources; and also serves as an ongoing monitoring tool to gauge performance and achievements. [author’s description]

This document focuses on the rationale, approaches and vision required for strengthening health information systems, the components and standards of a health information system, and the guiding principles for health information system development along with practical steps for implementation. [adapted from author]

This document discusses: definitions of a health information system (HIS); the main actors in HIS; tools and methods used by HIS; experiences in national HIS; and reforming national HIS.

The objective of this paper is to enable health sector leaders and managers to make data-driven decisions for human resources planning, policy making and management through strengthening human resources information systems. [author’s description]

WHO, World Bank, and other human resources for health experts globally have recognized the dearth of human resource data for the health sector in many developing countries. In the present assessment, JHPIEGO reviewed the availability of staff deployment and training data from routine information systems in Malawi to inform the Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) of deficiencies that would need to be addressed in order to better inform the development and ongoing monitoring of deployment and training policies and plans.
[publisher’s description]

A brief description of why strengthening human resources informations systems (HRIS) is important, what constitutes an HRIS, and what The Capacity Project has accomplished and learned in this area.

This document intends to provide a policy and strategic framework for management of health information, use of information in planning and management of health services and monitoring health sector performance. [from preface]