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Health information systems in humanitarian emergencies
1Department of Measurement and Health Information systems, Evidence and Information for Policy Cluster, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland. thierenm@who.int
Bulletin of the World Health Organization
|September 27, 2005
Summary
Health information systems (HIS) in emergencies require timely, detailed data for effective humanitarian response. Integrating and auditing HIS data is crucial to avoid misuse and protect victim confidentiality.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Informatics
- Humanitarian Action
Background:
- Health information systems (HIS) in emergencies face challenges in collecting timely and detailed data.
- Existing HIS frameworks require adaptation for humanitarian crisis contexts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review data-collection platforms for HIS in emergencies.
- To identify requirements for effective HIS in humanitarian settings.
- To propose improvements for data accuracy and ethical use.
Main Methods:
- Systemic definition of HIS in emergencies.
- Review of various data-collection platforms.
- Analysis of data integration, coordination, and auditing processes.
Main Results:
- HIS in emergencies require integration and participation for optimal performance.
- Coordination relies on lead agencies (e.g., WHO) and agency commitment.
- Poorly integrated HIS lead to fragmented, contradictory statistics and misuse.
Conclusions:
- Rigorous, coordinated auditing of humanitarian health statistics is essential before publication.
- Audit trails should detail data production steps, limitations, and assumptions.
- Ethical safeguards are vital to protect victim confidentiality in sensitive contexts.