Table 3 Health information competencies by health system level

• Uses administrative processes for longitudinal patient monitoring and practice management (e.g. searches for patient records, retrieves demographics)

• Uses administrative processes for maintaining employee records

• Manages projects and provincial-/district-level administration

• Plans and coordinates the national-level surveillance and response activities across all levels of the health system during public health emergencies

• Uses administrative processes for budgeting

• Develops HIS capacity-building activities across the health system

• Develops up-to-date legislation and health information policies and procedures that provide the framework for implementing the national HIS standards

• Uses administrative processes for staff scheduling

• Understands provincial/district minimum core health indicators that have been identified for the country (health status and determinants; inputs, outputs, and outcomes of the health system)

• Oversees and monitors the operations/functions of the HIS at the Ministry of Health

• Uses administrative processes for forecasting facility-level resource allocation

• Establishes coordination mechanisms for the provincial/district statistics office

• Develops up-to-date legislation and health information policies and procedures that provide the framework for implementing the national HIS standards

• Organises staff workshops and training sessions related to HIS strengthening

• Oversees and monitors the operations/functions of the HIS at the Ministry of Health

• Uses a systematic approach to evaluating the quality of services provided by health facilities according to national HIS standards

• Documents patient care using appropriate forms (in accordance with national and/or facility standards)

• Reports regularly on facility supplies, infrastructure, human resources, commodities, budget, and equipment

• Reports regularly on a minimum set of core indicators

• Disseminates health reports and national HIS standards to lower level health facilities and offices

• Enters patient data and facility-level health indicators using appropriate forms (in accordance with the national HIS standards)

• Uses facility and national HIS standards for proper filing and storage of confidential data

• Develops reports for the provincial/district Health Account

• Accesses and retrieves data at facility level for patient care and health service administration (e.g. filing system)

• Compiles and manages aggregate data

• Follows national HIS standards for data management, analysis, and use at provincial/district level

• Completes and submits all forms (i.e. weekly/monthly summary and surveillance reports) to the district level health office in a timely manner using the correct practice for paper-based documentation (according to national and/or facility standards)

• Accesses shared data sets

• Ensures accuracy of data collection at health facility

• Undertakes proper coding/classification, filing, and storage of confidential data as per national HIS data entry and facility standards and as appropriate at the facility level (e.g. diagnosis)

• Uses and understands diagnostic coding

• Publishes most recent summary reports for local authorities

• Performs transcription, analysis, and compilation of data as required by district and/or national health office

• Disseminates health information used by provincial/district and facility-level management teams to set resource allocation in the annual budget

• Maintains privacy and security of confidential data

• Provides information and analysis to health facilities and other administrative units as per national HIS standards

• Creates documentation that is thorough and legible

• Develops integrated HIS summary reports including minimum set of core indicators as per national HIS standards

• Accesses, processes, and analyses facility level data as per national HIS standards

• Extracts data from clinical and public health data sets

• Uses or provides surveillance data to respond to outbreaks according to national standards

• Uses patient records and/or facility health reports to monitor health outcomes

• Uses health information in developing the annual budget plan

• Uses health information in national strategic planning and budget development

• Uses or provides information on forms (national and/or facility standards) to plan patient care (e.g. discharge planning)

• Uses facility-level reports for decision-making on facility-level resource allocation (e.g. supplies, human resources, finances)

• Uses health information at all levels for managing delivery of the local health service and for continuous monitoring and periodic surveillance and response

• Uses integrated HIS summary reports including a minimum set of core indicators to set up strategic management agendas

• Uses or provides facility-retained patient medical records to support quality and continuity of care

• Uses data to evaluate service delivery and health outcomes and to improve quality of care at the facility level

• Uses lower level reports and national HIS reports for future HIS directional planning

• Uses or provides data relating to practice and care as per national HIS standards

• Uses health information in annual national planning and budget development