Support tool to strengthen health information systems: guidance for health information system assessment and strategy development (2021)

2021, viii + 159 pages
ISBN: 978 92 890 5574 1
This publication is only available online. 

This tool is an update of the 2015 Support tool to assess health information systems and develop and strengthen health information strategies. Both the global General Programme of Work and the European Programme of Work 2020–2025 emphasize the importance of supporting Member States for strengthening their health information systems (HISs) and this updated tool will be instrumental in this endeavour. The Tool has two main parts: guidance for performing an assessment of a full HIS and guidance for the subsequent development of an HIS strategy. The assessment methodology has been updated to reflect the current HIS context in the WHO European Region through achieving a better balance between data collection and actual data use and a better reflection of the growing importance of electronic health records and other digital solutions. Add-on modules provide support for more in-depth assessment of infectious disease surveillance, noncommunicable disease monitoring, health information for both programmes of work, human resources for health and health data governance. Finally, the guidance for HIS strategy development has been made more concise and practical.

To facilitate the work of the assessors when conducting an assessment and applying the “Annex 2. HIS assessment item sheet”, we have created an Excel file that can be downloaded from here.

The Russian version of this publication will be forthcoming.