The routine health information system (RHIS) is an integral part of the overall national health information system (HIS). RHIS collects health service data directly from the health facilities, where they are produced regularly by the healthcare workers and community health workers.

Interest in implementation research is growing, largely in recognition of the contribution it can make to maximizing the beneficial impact of health interventions. As a relatively new and, until recently, rather neglected field within the health sector, implementation research is something of an unknown quantity for many. There is therefore a need for greater clarity about what exactly implementation research is, and what it can offer. This Guide is designed to provide that clarity. Intended to support those conducting implementation research, those with responsibility for implementing programs, and those who have an interest in both, the Guide provides an introduction to basic implementation research concepts and language, briefly outlines what it involves, and describes the many opportunities that it presents. The main aim of the Guide is to boost implementation research capacity as well as demand for implementation research that is aligned with need, and that is of particular relevance to health systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Research on implementation requires the engagement of diverse stakeholders and multiple disciplines in order to address the complex implementation challenges they face. For this reason, the Guide is intended for a variety of actors who contribute to and/or are impacted by implementation research. This includes the decision-makers responsible for designing policies and managing programs whose decisions shape implementation and scale-up processes, as well as the practitioners and front-line workers who ultimately implement these decisions along with researchers from different disciplines who bring expertise in systematically collecting and analyzing information to inform implementation questions. The opening chapters (1-4) make the case for why implementation research is important to decision-making. They offer a workable definition of implementation research and illustrate the relevance of research to problems that are often considered to be simply administrative and provide examples of how such problems can be framed as implementation research questions. The early chapters also deal with the conduct of implementation research, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and discussing the role of implementers in the planning and designing of studies, the collection and analysis of data, as well as in the dissemination and use of results. The second half of the Guide (5-7) detail the various methods and study designs that can be used to carry out implementation research, and, using examples, illustrates the application of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method designs to answer complex questions related to implementation and scale-up. It offers guidance on conceptualizing an implementation research study from the identification of the problem, development of research questions, identification of implementation outcomes and variables, as well as the selection of the study design and methods while also addressing important questions of rigor.

BESTSELLING GUIDE, UPDATED WITH A NEW INFORMATION FOR TODAY'S HEALTH CARE ENVIRONMENT Health Care Information Systems is the newest version of the acclaimed text that offers the fundamental knowledge and tools needed to manage information and information resources effectively within a wide variety of health care organizations. It reviews the major environmental forces that shape the national health information landscape and offers guidance on the implementation, evaluation, and management of health care information systems. It also reviews relevant laws, regulations, and standards and explores the most pressing issues pertinent to senior level managers. It covers: Proven strategies for successfully acquiring and implementing health information systems. Efficient methods for assessing the value of a system. Changes in payment reform initiatives. New information on the role of information systems in managing in population health. A wealth of updated case studies of organizations experiencing management-related system challenges.

This book provides a practical guide to the design and implementation of health information systems in developing countries. Noting that most existing systems fail to deliver timely, reliable, and relevant information, the book responds to the urgent need to restructure systems and make them work as both a resource for routine decisions and a powerful tool for improving health services. With this need in mind, the authors draw on their extensive personal experiences to map out strategies, pinpoint common pitfalls, and guide readers through a host of conceptual and technical options. Information needs at all levels - from patient care to management of the national health system - are considered in this comprehensive guide. Recommended lines of action are specific to conditions seen in government-managed health systems in the developing world. In view of common constraints on time and resources, the book concentrates on strategies that do not require large resources, highly trained staff, or complex equipment. Throughout the book, case studies and numerous practical examples are used to explore problems and illustrate solutions. Details range from a list of weaknesses that plague most existing systems, through advice on when to introduce computers and how to choose appropriate software and hardware, to the hotly debated question of whether patient records should be kept by the patient or filed at the health unit. The book has fourteen chapters presented in four parts. Chapters in the first part, on information for decision-making, explain the potential role of health information as a managerial tool, consider the reasons why this potential is rarely realized, and propose general approaches for reform which have proved successful in several developing countries. Presentation of a six-step procedure for restructuring information systems, closely linked to an organizational model of health services, is followed by a practical discussion of the decision-making process. Reasons for the failure of most health information to influence decisions are also critically assessed. Against this background, the second and most extensive part provides a step-by-step guide to the restructuring of information systems aimed at improving the quality and relevance of data and ensuring their better use in planning and management. Steps covered include the identification of information needs and indicators, assessment of the existing system, and the collection of both routine and non-routine data using recommended procedures and instruments. Chapters also offer advice on procedures for data transmission and processing, and discuss the requirements of systems designed to collect population-based community information. Resource needs and technical tools are addressed in part three. A comprehensive overview of the resource base - from staff and training to the purchase and maintenance of equipment - is followed by chapters offering advice on the introduction of computerized systems in developing countries, and explaining the many applications of geographic information systems. Practical advice on how to restructure a health information system is provided in the final part, which considers how different interest groups can influence the design and implementation of a new system, and proposes various design options for overcoming specific problems. Experiences from several developing countries are used to illustrate strategies and designs in terms of those almost certain to fail and those that have the greatest chances of success

The package of health system resilience indicators serves as a dedicated resource to measure and monitor health system resilience in routine operations as well as in the context of disruptive shocks and stressors. This work addresses an identified gap in measurement and monitoring of health system resilience. It complements the Health Systems Resilience Toolkit and supports implementation of the recommendations in WHO’s position paper on building health system resilience for UHC and health security. The package aims to support countries to progressively build their capacities to measure, monitor and build health system resilience from national to subnational levels covering health facilities and other service delivery platforms. It emphasizes an integrated approach to health system strengthening underpinned by essential public health functions, encompassing health emergency preparedness. It includes: - guidance on how to utilize and adapt the health system resilience indicators, including a step-by-step guide - a suite of recommended health system resilience indicators with technical specifications - supplementary indicators of relevance to health system resilience The primary target audience for this package is national and subnational health authorities (including planners and managers) and service providers, as well as local, regional, and global technical organizations and partners working on health system strengthening, including WHO, United Nations country teams, donors, nongovernment organizations, development and humanitarian agencies, and other health-related technical agencies.

"This reference set provides a complete understanding of the development of applications and concepts in clinical, patient, and hospital information systems"--Provided by publisher.