The Information Systems and Digital Health Unit (EIH/IS) from the Department of Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health. EIH/IS is composed of two main programs of work and three special projects:
- The Information Systems for Health Program, which focuses on enhancing platforms, governance mechanisms, tools, and health data collection to facilitate health analysis, modeling and forecasting and to inform policies and improve health outcomes.
- The Digital Health Program, which promotes the adoption of digital health solutions to expand access to healthcare and enhance service delivery through innovative solutions like telehealth, artificial intelligence, and mobile health applications, among others.
- And the three Special Projects are: 1) Infodemic Management, 2) Innovation and 3) Strategic Communication to improve behavior changes in a digitally interconnected society.
AI-generated video on the EIH/IS Unit. Click on the image.
Information Systems for Health (IS4H)
The PAHO's IS4H (Information Systems for Health) initiative is a regional effort led by the Department of Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health (EIH), aimed at strengthening information systems in the health sector across the Americas. Recognizing the crucial role of data, information, and knowledge in health decision-making, the IS4H initiative seeks to enhance the collection, analysis, and use of quality data, unstructured and structured, to inform policy development and improve health outcomes.
IS4H focuses on four strategic domains to achieve its objectives: 1) Data Management and Information Technology, 2) Management and Governance, 3) Information and Knowledge Management and 4) Innovation. It aims to improve the interoperability of health-related information and data systems, enabling seamless data exchange and integration across various platforms and stakeholders. IS4H facilitates the aggregation and analysis of health data at regional, national, and local levels. IS4H also works towards enhancing the capacity of health professionals and policymakers to effectively utilize data and information for policy, decisions, and actions in health. This involves providing training and technical assistance on data management, analysis, and interpretation, as well as promoting the use of evidence-based approaches in decision-making processes.
Furthermore, the IS4H initiative promotes the use of digital health solutions to expand access to health services and improve health outcomes. It encourages the adoption of electronic health records, telehealth, mobile health applications, AI solutions and other innovative solutions that can enhance the delivery of healthcare and empower individuals to manage their health and wellbeing. The Program embrace the following technical cooperation projects:
- The IS4H Initiative
- Vital Statistics
- Core health indicators
- Family of International Classification of Diseases
- Platforms for health data management
- Data management and governance
The IS4H Initiative -Maturity Model
The IS4H-MM is a reference framework guiding Information Systems for Health to keep walking along the path of change marked by the information and knowledge revolution, and shows how countries and organizations grow in capabilities to operate, interact and benefit from them. The diagram below illustrates the five levels of maturity. The Health Information System Maturity Model (IS4H-MM) is a framework that guides health information systems along the path for change marked out by the information and knowledge revolution, and shows how countries and organizations can increase their capacity to operate, interact with, and benefit from these systems. The following diagram illustrates the five levels of maturity.
Assessment of the five progressive levels of IS4H-MM provides the knowledge needed to plan the way forward with plans and roadmaps for information systems. Maturity is assessed against key capability characteristics for each strategic goal at each level of the Maturity Model. The characteristics and components of the maturity levels are detailed below.
Goal 2 - Management and governance
Goal 3 - Knowledge management and sharing
Goal 4 - Innovation and performance
Digital Health Program
The Digital Health Program is a vital component of the EIH/IS Unit, dedicated to revolutionizing models of care through the adoption and integration of digital health solutions. This Program of work harnesses the power of technology to transform the way healthcare is delivered, making it more accessible, efficient, and patient-centered. The Program focuses on various areas of digital health, and it is fully integrated with the IS4H Framework.
It explores the implementation of electronic health records, decision support systems and platforms, including Telehealth, allowing for seamless, ethical, and cyber secure access to patient information. It promotes telehealth solutions, enabling remote consultations, monitoring, and diagnosis, thus expanding access to healthcare services, especially in remote areas. The Program also explores the potential of mobile health applications and AI solutions, empowering individuals to actively engage in their health management, track their well-being, and receive personalized health information and reminders.
The Digital Health team plays a crucial role in ensuring data security, privacy, and interoperability, aligning with international standards and best practices. It collaborates with Member States, Strategic Partners, healthcare providers, policymakers, and technology experts to develop and implement digital health strategies that optimize healthcare delivery, enhance patient outcomes, and improve overall population health. Core technical cooperation projects are:
- Telehealth
- Artificial Intelligence
- Digital Literacy
- Digital Public Goods
- Governance, including the adoption of international guidelines
Eight guiding principles for digital transformation of the health sector
The digitization of health services implies important cultural changes for both health personnel and the population in general. These eight guiding principles are aimed at guiding the countries of the Region of the Americas in the processes of digital health transformation. Their purpose is to support them in making informed decisions, formulating short and long-term goals, and developing solid and sustainable public policies, leaving no one behind.
Digital Transformation Toolkit
The digital transformation toolkit was created with the aim of offering managerial, technical, knowledge, communication, and academic resources to all those health professionals, decision-makers, and institutions dedicated to strengthening health information systems, with the vision of achieving universal access to health and universal health coverage in the Region through access to good quality data, strategic information, and digital health tools for decision-making and well-being.
Special Projects
The EIH/IS Unit is responsible for leading three special projects: Infodemic Management, Innovation for Digital Transformation, and Behavior Changes in Public Health. In the face of misinformation and the rapid spread of health-related content, the team leads the Infodemic Management project, working diligently to tackle false information and adopt big data analytics initiatives. Additionally, they drive the Innovation for Digital Transformation project, exploring cutting-edge technologies and solutions to optimize healthcare delivery and improve patient outcomes. Lastly, the team addresses the critical aspect of behavior changes in public health, developing strategies and interventions that encourage positive health-related behaviors within communities. Together, they strive to leverage digital advancements to transform healthcare, enhance public health initiatives, and empower individuals to make informed decisions about their well-being. The three Special Projects under the responsibility of the Unit are:
- Infodemic Management
- Innovation
- Strategic Communication to improve behavior changes
Related Resources
For Best Data Quality
RELACSIS is community of practice present in Latin America and the Caribbean since 2010. Our work is based on solidarity and cooperation among all the countries in the region in the investigation, documentation, definition, and design of practices to improve data quality, data analysis, and data interpretation for better situation assessments that can be used to formulate, monitor, and evaluate health policies. Among our main functions, we offer:
Health information since 1954
Health in the Americas (HIA) is a new way of visualizing the most important publication of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO). Since it began publication in 1954, this publication has focused on one of the organization's main mandates, which is to compile and disseminate information on health conditions and trends in the countries and territories of the Americas and the Caribbean.
This new portal now centralizes access to all information published in Health in the Americas, starting with the current edition, which focuses on Potentially Avoidable Premature Mortality and includes new and more interactive ways to visualize data and compare information in different regions and countries, and reach back to the first edition, from 1954.
Core Health Indicators
The Regional Core Health Data and Country Profiles Initiative (RCHDI) was launched by PAHO in 1995 to monitor the achievement of health goals and compliance with mandates adopted by Member States and the Pan American Sanitary Bureau (PASB) over time, by country, by subregion, and by region. PAHO's core indicators include data for 49 countries and territories in the Region of the Americas from 1995 to 2021 or the latest year available. The regional core indicators data dashboard provides information from a combination of different data sources that allow for a broad perspective of the health situation.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
