Health Information System (HIS): Its

Importance and Components

By
Akumengwa Neba N.
HS12A001
Department of Public Health an Hygiene
MPH 611
 Outline
 Introduction
 Goal
 Objectives
 Importance of HIS
 Components of HIS
 Assessment of HIS
 Conclusion
 Recommendations

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 Introduction

3
4
 Goal

 Improve participant’s knowledge on health

information system.

5
 General objective
 To highlight different aspects of a health
information system

Specific objectives
 To define terms related to health information
systems.
 To outline the importance of a health information
system
 To identify the various components of a health
information system
 To describe the how a health information system
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is assessed
 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.(Ibid)
 May be a single institution(a hospital) or a group
of health care institutions (health care network)

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 Importance of a Health Information
System

 Produces information needed by

 Patients, communities, service
providers, programme
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
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promote equity.
 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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 Components of a HIS
 Inputs
 HIS resources

 Processes
 Indicators
 Data sources
 Data management

 Output
 Information products
 Dissemination and use
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 Components of a HIS cont….
 HIS resource
 Legislative, regulatory and planning frameworks
 Personnel, finances, logistics support, and
ICTs.
 Indicators
 Determinants of health; health system inputs,
outputs and outcomes.
 Data sources
 Censuses, civil registration and population
surveys
11  Individual records, service records and
 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
 Communities

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 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

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(WHO; HMN framework 2005)
 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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 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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 Recommendations
 Sensitization of stakeholders involved with the
HIS on its importance and components
 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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 References
 Winter A. Haux R. Ammenwerth E. Brigl B. Hellrung N. Jahn F. Health
Information Systems- Architectures And Strategies. Health informatics, e-ISBN
978-1-84996-441-8. 2. Ed .London: Springer-Verlag London Limited: 2010.
http://store.freecollege.org/noleech1.php (accessed 29 Jan 2014).

 Health Metrics Network. Version 4.00. Framework and

standards for country health information systems:
Assessing national HIS information dissemination and
use. Geneva, World Health Organization: 2008.
 Lippeveld, Theo, R. Sauerborn, and C. Bodart. Design and Implementation of
Health Information Systems. Health Information System Module. Geneva: WHO.
2000.

 World Health Organisation. Components of a strong

health information system. A guide to the health
metrics network framework. Geneva, World Health
Organization: 2008
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 I HOPE THIS WAS
INFORMATIVE
THANKS FOR YOUR KIND
ATTENTION

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