Process definition on information systems for epidemiology and public health

Abstract

The process definition assessment on Information systems includes a number of activities oriented to trace the effects, in a broad sense, further to its communication or diffusion in a non-scientific arena. The first scope is to know the returns of all resources allocated, although the scope is wider as it also pretends, in the long-run, to orient process in itself and its funding schemes and priorities with the objective of assessing the social returns, epidemiological, health services and public health, and of contributing to the existing experience knowledge in this field of disciplines. With this scope, the present document overviews the open challenges, and proposes an adapted framework and highlights methodological issues for further applications. Burden of disease, variability in clinical practice, and the cost-effectiveness of healthcare interventions are among the most common criteria used to evaluate the relevance of research topics. Other aspects that are usually considered but which are more difficult to quantify include the existence of social inequalities in health, social and environmental situation, between others. Although it is agreed that explicit criteria should be used to prioritize funding, no standard method is currently used. It is required a framework that included concepts pertaining to organizational system dynamics, as well as social (e.g. well-being) and economic value, in addition to measures of traditional scientific impact. The objectives of this study were to (i) identify new criteria for priority-setting in health service topics; (ii) develop a composite priority score; and (iii) evaluate the reliability and validity of the final priority score. After being adapted, the new method should be more appropriate to assess topics in a broader area, such as Epidemiology and Public Health.