Data for Decision Making in Networked Health

Abstract

Today's developed countries are networked societies, with strong specificities in the Health field. Health costs have strongly increased. Indeed, governments, local powers, public and private health or insurance organizations face difficult choices: they need the most specific and valuable data available. Data for Decision Making in Networked Health is necessary at 3 levels: between patients and physicians and within the organizations (micro), within the organizations (meso) and in regional powers or governments (macro) and with 3 major content dimensions: quality, ethics, economics (effectiveness). We point out some specific tools of e-Health Information Systems: EHR (Electronic Health Record), portals and call centers. Then we analyze the main issues about data for Decision Making in Networked Health: information sharing, coordination and evaluation. Lastly we use an Information System perspective to analyze ways of improving interoperability at the core of each context, and of advancing from one context to another.