Assessing the National Health Information System
An Assessment Tool
National HIS strengthening must start with a broad-based assessment of the system’s own environment and organization, responsibilities, roles and relationships; and of the technical challenges of specific data requirements in order to:
- allow objective baseline and follow-up evaluations – assessment findings should therefore be comparable over time;
- inform stakeholders – for example, of aspects of the HIS with which they may not be familiar;
- build consensus around the priority needs for health information system strengthening; and
- mobilize joint technical and financial support for the implementation of a national HIS strategic plan – with indications of the priority investments in the short term (1–2 years), intermediate term (3–9 years) and long term (10 years and beyond).
Stakeholders may decide to repeat the comprehensive assessment exercise at appropriate intervals. HMN is working to develop a separate monitoring tool that will permit the monitoring of progress over time.