RFI: Health Information Systems (3)
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Hello AFRO-NETS,
The definition of "Health Information Systems" (HIS) has become
broadened of late, probably to the detriment of anybody searching for
precise help or support.
Traditionally HIS involved health statistics - at least attendances
at facilities for various services, probably some data that might be
related to epidemiological analysis, hospital discharges, utilization
rates, etc.
Of late, the sort of activities that Information, Education, Communi-
cation (IEC) units are involved in seem also to have come under the
"health information systems" rubric.
(If nothing else, it makes searching for jobs in the traditional HIS
arena more difficult as all sorts of opportunities in graphic design,
patient information materials, etc. pop up on searches for health in-
formation system opportunities.)
Clearly these are two very different topics that would likely involve
responses from people with very different sorts of experience or ex-
pertise.
Mr. Motsumi's position of senior medical records officer to me would
suggest he has interest in the "classic" definition of health infor-
mation system - he would like some direction or advice, support or
assistance on making some sense of the data that he is likely col-
lecting every month about the patients who pass through his facility.
I am surprised by the single response to Mr. Motsumi's posting. I
would have thought that the subscribers from WHO, UNICEF and the
other organizations that purport to be players in whatever definition
of HIS intended by the posting would have weighed in with responses
in substantial numbers.
The only respondent to the posting to date is from a Kenyan company
that says it specializes in medical informatics systems.
I wonder if Mr. Motsumi's questions have been answered.
Regards,
Jeremy B. Clark
Windhoek
Namibia
Tel: +264-61-248-995
Cell:+264-81-127-3421
mailto:jbclark@iafrica.com.na
or
mailto:jclark@mhss.gov.na
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