Health Management Information Systems: Backbone of the Health System

Abstract

Lippeveld, Azim, Boone, Dwivedi, Edwards and AbouZahr describe the health management information system (HMIS) as a key source of data for health policy and planning. The authors define the HMIS and describe the multiple data sources from which it draws, including patient records, health facility registers, community records, and health facility assessments. They describe the strengths and limitations of the HMIS and summarize how these can be addressed, with a focus on data quality and use of information for decision-making. Finally, they introduce innovations and technologies that are transforming HMIS to respond to the data needs of modern health-care systems. They show how the power of the HMIS is enhanced when linked to other data sources such as administrative record systems, censuses and surveys.