How to Evaluate Health Information Systems: Evaluation stages

The most important goal of health systems is improvement of quality, effectiveness and efficiency of health services. To achieve this goal, health care organizations should establish a proper structure for evaluating health information systems. Health information system evaluation is expected to identify the existing problems of the system through measuring specific indicators. The main objective of planning health information system evaluation is to ensure availability of useful and utilizable data for measuring essential health indicators. Many researches have been done on health information systems evaluation indicators and stages. The current study overviews the previous studies and describes the suggested approach of World Health Organization to health information system evaluation which has been used in several countries. This program provides a comprehensive framework of health information systems evaluation. It is evident that determining the stages of the assessment program and its basic indicators will increase the effectiveness of health information system and subsequently improve health care.