What is health information? Health information is used by policy-makers, planners, health care providers, development partners and the general public to track health system performance, support better health policies and make effective health-related decisions.
More specifically, concerning laboratory information, it is important to understand laboratory services which are essential for both public health and clinical medicine. Clinical and Public Health laboratories are indispensable in supporting the clinical care of individual patients, as well as in supporting various public health programs, for example, the prevention, surveillance and control of communicable diseases, including blood transfusion services, non-communicable diseases, maternal and child health, environmental health, safe water supply, food safety and others.
What is Cambodia Laboratory Information System – (CamLIS)?
Information management in laboratories is then crucial to
support patient diagnostic and treatment and disease surveillance. In
2011, WHO started to support the Ministry of Health to develop the
Cambodia's Laboratory Information System (CamLIS) database with the
collaboration of health partners and laboratory experts. This database
allows all laboratory personnel to enter their laboratory data and
perform analysis as required. Similarly, data from each laboratory is
sent to a database center via the internet, allowing other key personnel
in the Ministry to analyze and monitor data.
System implementation
CamLIS was first piloted in the laboratory of the National Pediatric Hospital in Phnom Penh in 2011. A year later, the system was established in 9 other laboratories throughout the country and was expanded to 35 national, provincial and referral laboratories in 2018, with a 2019 plan to reach 11 more laboratories.
At the same time, to further strengthen the system, CamLIS was upgraded into a web-based platform since 2013 with the aim of providing easier access to national, provincial and referral laboratories.
Additionally, CamLIS has been linked to the patient registration database in the Patient Management and Registration System (PMRS), managed by the Ministry of Health, since 2015, with technical assistance from University Research in Cambodia (URC). This web-based application is used by public health facilities to organize and manage data and to record patient information, service use, and fee payments.
Looking ahead
From the start, WHO has been supporting technically and financially the development and the implementation of CamLIS, through expert support, system setup, equipment and training provision.
CamLIS is a great tool bringing standardized patient results, history and laboratory data, quickly generated reports accessible on computer and physician’s mobile phones. It also helps to improve laboratory practices, support Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance (AMR) and detection of nosocomial outbreaks.
There are still challenges to work on such as limited internet connection and equipment, inadequate supply of specialised human resources and incomplete data collection, which the Ministry of Health is aware.
WHO and Diagnostic Microbiology Development Program (DMDP) in Cambodia are committed to continue to work with the Ministry to enhance the implementation of the system to further increase the efficiency of laboratory services as well as the management and data reporting for surveillance purposes.
More information about CamLIS can be found here