Philippine Health Information System Phase 1 Public Health Information System

Abstract

The Department of Health recognizes that for effective and efficient management of health services, the support of information is critical and vital to its success. The development of the Philippine Health Information System Phase 1 – Public Health Information System originated when the National Epidemiology Center of the DOH invited technical staff from Information Management Service to discuss the current DOH health information system and the role each office assumes as far as information systems and software development is concerned. The primary result of this discussion is the integration of effort and resources of both offices to develop an integrated Philippine Health Information System that includes three (3) major systems, namely: public health information system, hospital information system and clinical management information system. The development of the integrated PHIS is divided into phases, namely Public Health Information System – Phase 1, and the Hospital and Clinical Managements Information System – Phase 2.

The lack of timely, updated and accurate health data is a major problem in the DOH health information system. The PHIS – 1 address the current issues, concerns and/or problems in public health information system in the DOH. It is built on a people-centered perspective and sustainable Health Information System useful at all levels of implementation. The use of the PHIS-1 enables rural health unit facilities of the DOH to improve the current health service delivery, provide useful information, i.e., patient monitoring, tracking, follow-up, case management and surveillance, strengthens reporting of health data to the DOH Central Office and supports planning and policy formulation.

The PHIS-1 is developed using the system-oriented and prototyping approach in system and software development. It utilizes the existing Information and Communication Technology standards of the DOH in Systems and Software Development, Database and Network Standards and Documentation Standards.