Integrated health reporting at the communal and federal state level—policy initiatives and approaches of the last 20 years

Abstract

The Ottawa Charter produced a new paradigm of health promotion, putting forward concepts such as intersectoral policies, determinants of health, and mediating. In this framework, the demand was made that health reports should be conceptualized as integrative, containing data from all sectors where health determinants can be found. The research question is: Can we identify explicit concepts and a publicly communicated practice of integrated health reporting in the German-speaking countries? In order to answer this question, a web search was carried out and supplemented by emailed inquiries to key project personnel. Eight projects were identified: four projects/initiatives represented local or regional integrated health reporting; in North Rhine-Westphalia there were two initiatives started by the federal state but relating to local reporting; in Berlin (Germany) and Burgenland (Austria) we found reports for the federal states. The projects are presented in compressed form. Limitations of this explorative research are its restriction to reports explicitly labeled as “integrative” and the narrowly defined search terms. Positive findings were good indicator concepts, some legal frameworks, and other promotive factors, such as scholarly support. However, there are shortcomings in putting integrative reporting into practice. Barriers might be the complexity of programs, missing financial, personal, and professional resources, organizational and methodical problems, as well as anxieties and prejudices. Some examples show that the barriers can be overcome. The guideline “Good Practice Health Reporting” supports the call for integrated reporting explicitly, however too much is hidden in the document.