Integration of Health Information Systems to Promote Health

The health information systems (HISs) include data and concepts in health services given to patients to improve the management of such services (1). HISs with four key functions (data generation, compilation, analysis and synthesis, and communication and use) provides the foundation of decision-making (2). HISs is a useful source to collect data from the health sectors. It ensures the quality of data (3). Information can share across the systems for the purpose of continues of care. Lack of integration of these systems leads to inadequate data flow between them (4). The purpose of integrated HISs are systems that interconnected, providing services to clients, leading to continues workflow and integrated information flow and enabling healthcare decision making (5). Integrated HISs is widely considered to provide higher performance in terms of quality and safety. Information systems cover different geographic regions, provide fast and convenient access to the healthcare services, and reduce costs (6). Moreover, information systems are the potential tool to health promotion (7). Health promotion is defined as: “The enabling of people to increase control over, and to improve, their health. To reach a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, an individual or group must be able to identify and realize their aspirations, to satisfy needs and to change or cope with the environment” (8). Three categories of health promotion at the community level that can benefit from the integration of HISs are health education, health screening and prevention of disease.