Using Routine Health Information Systems in Europe: "Focus on countries in transition"Mr Arun Nanda Abstract International, national and sub-national indicators derived from routine health information will be used to demonstrate that comparative information is an essential component in the drive to improve the health of people and the delivery of health care to patients. It is needed at all levels of health services, for a variety of purposes and for many end-users. The overall objectives being to pin-point areas for Public Health action and to share and tap success (and failures) in order to initiate "practice-oriented exchange of experience". Today in Europe there is increasing decentralisation, there are countries whose economies and health systems are in transition and many countries are undertaking health care reforms. These trends give even greater emphasizes and urgency to such sharing of "good practices" and therefore to the crucial role of health information in this respect. The presentation will therefore also explore some of the problems and barriers to such sharing and suggest some tried and tested solutions. |