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“Human Resource for Health Information System” (
“HRHIS”) — also known within the
health care sector as “human resource information system” (“HRIS”) — is a system for collecting, processing, managing and disseminating data and information on
human resource for health (HRH). Depending on the level of development of a country's
health care system and the organization of its workforce, an HRHIS can be
computerized or paper-based, and including information on numbers and distribution of health workers and track their career information. It is usually an integral part of a comprehensive
health management information system, and may be used to monitor and assess the performance of the overall health system.
For example, in Tanzania the title Human Resource for Health Information System refers to an open-source software solution for HRH information management developed by the Department of Computer Science, University of Dar es Salaam for the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (Tanzania), and funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and other development partners. The system supports the capture of data linked to any level in an organizational hierarchy and a high degree of customization at both the input and output side.
Similar systems have been developed and implemented elsewhere. In Uganda, an open-source HRHIS was implemented under the request of the Ugandan Ministry of Health (MOH), to link and better manage a variety of independent sources of health workforce data, including data from censuses and other national surveys, MOH administrative records, district level sources, independent research studies, and health professional council data. In Brazil, the national web-based HRHIS (known in Portuguese as sistema de informação e gestão de recursos humanos em saúde) was implemented by the Brazilian Ministry of Health under a process of health systems reform and decentralization, catalyzed by the availability of new information technologies at the level of local health organizations. Botswana developed its HRHIS in 1994, and Ministry of Health staff used the data as a basis for coordinated national workforce planning efforts with other agencies and ministries, such as the Department of Local Government which employs health workers in local regions.
HRHIS in Tanzania
Background: Human Resource for Health (HRH) Strategic Plan
The Tanzania Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW) has identified health workforce information as a key area that needs to be strengthened in fast tracking implementation of its Human Resource Strategic Plan. The situation analysis conducted during the development of the said plan indicated that there are several databases dealing with human resource for health with mostly same information fields within and outside the ministry. It was then agreed that these sources should be harmonized, and housed under Health Management Information System for consistency.
Implementation of HRHIS is an effort to improve HRH management. The HRHIS software is a part of Health Management Information System (HMIS) as well the District Health Information System (DHIS) software. The HRHIS is fully integrated with DHIS 2 through import/export mechanism.
HRHIS Software
The HRHIS was built using free and open source technologies
PHP (server scripting language),
PostgreSQL (database management system) running on multi-platform (Windows, Linux) architecture.
It provides flexibility to:
Add any number of datasets or elements required by any sectors (such as central health ministry, local government, civil services (PO-PSM) or private providers)
Update organization unit details
Generate different reports including graphical reporting
Store different human resources data and history
The system can capture health personnel's data by organization unit and cadre, etc., and generate various general and aggregated web-enabled reports in different formats including graphical reporting. It can be configured by organization structure according to users' requirements, such as for the case of the central ministry, the system can allow additional regions, districts and health facilities to be added dynamically without entering into system codes.
The system has been developed based on full open source technologies (PHP, PostgreSQL, and Linux), and is designed to be user-friendly based on flexible architecture. The initial database was populated with the minimum set of data items as requested by MOHSW, but the system allows administrators or authorized users to add additional elements as new needs arise. The HRHIS can also provide import/output mechanism for data at different levels, such as national, regional, district or facility level.
Since human resource information/data are personal and confidential, the HRHIS system was designed and developed taking into account high security measures for protecting the data that has been entered. Security measures include a login mechanism such that only authorized personnel can use the system, and also a Users Administration functionality which allows the system administrator to limit users access to the available functions of the system.
The system was built by UDSM developers and analysts who are considered fully conversant with the changing needs of health sector and Tanzania's context. It is used in the Coast region (all districts and regional level) and MOHSW headquarters, and implementation is ongoing in Dar es Salaam, and thereafter in Kilimanjaro, Tanga, and Morogoro.
See also
Human resources for health general issues
Health information management
Health informatics
Human Resources for Health journal
References
External links
HRIS Strengthening Implementation Toolkit, USAID-supported Capacity Project
University of Dar es Salaam, Computer Science unit, Tanzania
Health Information Systems Programme, Tanzania
Category:Free software
Category:Healthcare software
Category:Health informatics
