Better information means better health care
A WELL-FUNCTIONING health information system that collects, processes, reports and uses health information and knowledge can improve decision-making and health care programmes, influence policy and research, and improve individual and public health outcomes, according to Vincent Shaw, Chief Executive Officer of the Health Information Systems Program South Africa (HISP-SA).
The non-profit organisation, a finalist in the NSTF-South32 Awards 2016/2017, develops and implements a range of tools and approaches to strengthen health information systems. It also supports the use of data and information management, largely in resource constrained primary healthcare and hospital settings.
Shaw elaborates, “HISP-SA started as a local project in the Western Cape in 1994, developing and piloting its flagship program, the District Health Information System – a paper-based and computerised system for managing routine health information in primary healthcare facilities.
“In 2001, the HISP process and the District Health Information System software were adopted as a national standard, and the latter was rolled out to all provinces in South Africa and expanded to cover all public hospitals.
“Today, it is used in more than 50 countries worldwide as the information system supporting quality health care service delivery for an estimated 2 billion people, including an estimated 71 percent of Africa’s population.”
A dedicated, multi-disciplinary team supports governments, health facilities, health care workers and decision makers to strengthen routine and other health information systems to provide reliable information for effective decision making and high quality health care service delivery.
He says the organisation’s core strengths and experience lie in: designing, developing and implementing sustainable, integrated health information systems; developing innovative software solutions; and, a robust capacity building approach to develop a broad range of skills in communities, health care workers and decision makers in effective data collection, collation, analysis and use, as well as improving data quality.