Abstract
Lippeveld, Azim, Boone, Dwivedi, Edwards and AbouZahr describe the health management information system (HMIS) as a key source of data for health policy and planning. The authors define the HMIS and describe the multiple data sources from which it draws, including patient records, health facility registers, community records, and health facility assessments. They describe the strengths and limitations of the HMIS and summarize how these can be addressed, with a focus on data quality and use of information for decision-making. Finally, they introduce innovations and technologies that are transforming HMIS to respond to the data needs of modern health-care systems. They show how the power of the HMIS is enhanced when linked to other data sources such as administrative record systems, censuses and surveys.
Lippeveld, Azim, Boone, Dwivedi, and Edwards are part of the Center for Health Information and Monitoring and Evaluation (CHIME) of John Snow Inc. (JSI) in Boston, USA. JSI has generously provided a grant to fund some of the time of the authors.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
King’s Fund. Quarterly monitoring report 24. 2017 [cited 2018 18th February]. Available from: http://qmr.kingsfund.org.uk/2017/24/overview
MEASURE Evaluation. Health management information systems (HMIS). [cited 2018 18th February]. Available from: https://www.measureevaluation.org/resources/training/capacity-building-resources/health-management-information-systems-hmis-1.4
Heywood A, Boone D. United States Agency for International Development (USAID), MEASURE evaluation. Guidelines for data management standards in routine health Information systems. 2015 [cited 2018 18th February]. Available from: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00KB8N.pdf
World Health Organization. Health facility information systems resource kit. Product of a technical consultation on monitoring results with health facility information systems. 2016 [Cited 2018 18th August]. Available from http://www.who.int/healthinfo/facility_information_systems/Facility_Community_Data_Toolkit_final.pdf?ua=1
World Health Organization. Towards a harmonized approach for health facility assessments. Vision, guiding principles and roadmap. Outcome of a technical consultation. 2014 [cited 2018 18th February]. Available from: http://www.who.int/healthinfo/facility_information_systems/hfa_meeting_november2014_report.pdf
Demographic and Health Surveys. Service provision assessment (SPA). SPA questionnaires. [cited 2018 18th February]. Available from: http://dhsprogram.com/publications/publication-search.cfm?type=37
World Bank. Service delivery indicators (SDI). 2014 [cited 2018 18th February]. Available from: http://datatopics.worldbank.org/sdi/
World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (The Global Fund), United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/MEASURE Evaluation. Data quality review (DQR) toolkit. (cited 2018 5th November). Available from: http://www.who.int/healthinfo/tools_data_analysis/dqr_modules/en/
Peters DH, Noor AA, Singh LP, Kakar FK, Hansen PM, Burnham G. A balanced scorecard for health services in Afghanistan. Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 2007 Feb 1;85(2):146–51. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/blt.06.033746
John Snow, Inc. Ethiopia health management information system strengthening project 2006–2012. (cited 2018 5th November). Available from: https://www.jsi.com/JSIInternet/IntlHealth/project/display.cfm?ctid=na&cid=na&tid=40&id=1701
Republic of Uganda, World Health Organization. Assessment of health facility data quality: Data quality report card, Uganda. 2011 [cited 2018 18th February]. Available from: http://www.who.int/healthinfo/country_monitoring_evaluation/UG_DataQualityReport_final_20120123.pdf
Government of Kenya. Statistical review of progress towards the mid-term targets of the Kenya health sector strategic plan 2014–2018. 2017 [cited 2018 18th February]. Available from: http://www.who.int/healthinfo/country_monitoring_evaluation/KHSSP_StatisticalReport_2016.pdf?ua=1
Watson Grant S, Reynolds Z, Mswia R. Liberia health outcome monitoring report lot quality assurance sampling survey in Liberia. 2012 [cited 2018 11th April]. Available from: https://www.measureevaluation.org/resources/publications/tr-12-88
dhis2. The Health Information Systems Programme. [cited 2018 18th February]. Available from: https://academy.dhis2.org/about
Edwards M, Lippeveld T, editors. Decision support systems for improving the analytic capacity of decentralized routine health information systems in developing countries. System Sciences, 2004 Proceedings of the 37th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 2004. Proceedings of the IEEE; 2004; Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/hicss.2004.1265380
OpenHIE. OpenHIE is a global mission-driven community of practice. [cited 2018 18th February]. Available from: https://ohie.org/-about
World Health Organization. Creating a master health facility list. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization. 2013 [cited 2018 18th February]. Available from: http://www.who.int/healthinfo/systems/WHO_CreatingMFL_draft.pdf
SNOMED CT. Starter guide. [cited 2018 18th February]. Available from: http://snomed.org/sg
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. National health data dictionary: version 16.2. 2015 [cited 2018 18th February]. Available from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/national-health-data-dictionary-version-16-2/contents/table-of-contents
Open Concept Lab. [cited 2018 11th April]. Available from: https://github.com/OpenConceptLab
Grob M, Hartzband D. Health centers and the data warehouse. Health Center Controlled Networks, Series HCCN Information Bulletin 2008;14. [cited 2018 5th November]. Available from: https://www.rchnfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Data-Warehouse-and-Health-Centers_12_2_08.pdf
MEASURE Evaluation. Performance of routine information system management (PRISM) framework. 2015 [cited 2018 18th February]. Available from: https://www.measureevaluation.org/resources/tools/health-information-systems/prism
Hotchkiss DR, Aqil A, Lippeveld T, Mukooyo E. Evaluation of the performance of routine information system management (PRISM) framework: evidence from Uganda. BioMed Central Health Services Research. 2010 Jul 3;10(1). Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-10-188
Belay H, Lippeveld T. Inventory of PRISM framework and tools: application of PRISM tools and interventions for strengthening routine health information system performance. 2013 [cited 2018 18th February]. Available from: https://www.measureevaluation.org/resources/publications/wp-13-138
Lippeveld T. Routine health facility and community information systems: Creating an information use culture. Global Health: Science and Practice. 2017 Sep 27;5(3):338–40. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.9745/ghsp-d-17-00319
Grove J, Claeson M, Bryce J, Amouzou A, Boerma T, Waiswa P, et al. Maternal, newborn, and child health and the Sustainable Development Goals—a call for sustained and improved measurement. Lancet. 2015 Oct;386(10003):1511–4. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(15)00517-6
MEASURE Evaluation. Routine health information system curriculum. 2017 [cited 2018 18th February]. Available from: https://www.measureevaluation.org/our-work/routine-health-information-systems/rhis-curriculum
PRISM Assessment. Rebuilding Basic Health Services (RBHS) Project. Performance of routine health information management in Liberia. 2014 [cited 2018 18th February]. Available from: pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00JRQN.pdf
Government of United Republic of Tanzania. Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. Mid-term analytical review of performance of the Health Sector Strategic Plan III 2009–2015. 2013 [cited 2018 18th February]. Available from: http://www.who.int/healthinfo/country_monitoring_evaluation/TZ_AnalyticalReport_2013.pdf?ua=1
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2019 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Lippeveld, T., Azim, T., Boone, D., Dwivedi, V., Edwards, M., AbouZahr, C. (2019). Health Management Information Systems: Backbone of the Health System. In: Macfarlane, S., AbouZahr, C. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Global Health Data Methods for Policy and Practice. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-54984-6_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-54984-6_9
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-137-54983-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-54984-6
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)