Integration of Data and Information Systems Into the Health Data Strategy

Abstract

Integrating data and information systems into national health strategies is crucial in addressing the growing health care demands. This increase is driven by an aging population and the rising prevalence of chronic diseases. Such systems enable the collection, analysis, and publication of health data and provide critical insights based on data-driven decision-making that support policy decisions, health interventions, and service delivery. Moreover, the systems enhance the capacity for public health surveillance and enable health authorities to monitor health trends, predict disease outbreaks, and effectively manage health crises such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic. This paper highlights the key aspects and characteristics that, according to international references, a well-functioning health information system and data-driven decision-making at the national level should have. We present the outputs in the form of the National Health Data-Sharing Strategy for the Czech Republic, along with successfully implemented case studies across selected domains of its health care system. The Czech National Health Information System has been established as the backbone for centralizing health data. It is a nationwide public administration tool that collects and processes data from the essential registries of public administration bodies, ministries, health services providers, or other persons submitting data to this system. It is the foundation for shaping a health care system that is responsive to patient needs, ensures efficient resource use, and promotes a patient-centered approach. Two examples are given of the tracking of fictitious patient pathways through the health care system. The take-home message of the study is a policy-oriented endorsement of comprehensive, secure, and interoperable health information systems as the basic infrastructure for modern, patient-centered, and data-driven health care. The paper strongly advocates the National Health Information System of the Czech Republic as the primary health database for designing, implementing, and governing such a system in alignment with European and global standards.