Promoting better integration of health information systems: best practices and challenges

By Kai Michelsen, Helmut Brand, Peter Achterberg and John Wilkinson
Health Evidence Network synthesis report
2015, viii + 32 pages
ISBN 978 92 890 5077 7
CHF 20.00
In developing countries CHF 14.00
Order no. 13400152 

This report addresses the current trends in Member States of the European Union (EU) and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in how to promote better integration of health information systems. To understand what better integration means from a pragmatic perspective, experts from 13 EU Member States were interviewed and the results combined with the findings from a literature search.

This synthesis report identifies the following policy options for further consideration: the needs:

1. to continue the work on some basics (such as data availability and quality, inventories of data and registries, standardization, legislation, physical infrastructure and workforce capacities) and on more “concept-driven” indicator sets; 
2. to define what better integration means and to demonstrate concrete benefits of integration; 
3. to build leadership for capacity building in further integration of health information systems; and 
4. to pursue further international exchange about activities underway in this area.