Linking primary care information systems and public health vertical programs in the Philippines: an open-source experience

Abstract

Community-based primary care information systems are one of the building blocks for national health information systems. In the Philippines, after the devolution of health care to local governments, we observed "health information system islands" connected to national vertical programs being implemented in devolved health units. These structures lead to a huge amount of "information work" in the transformation of health information at the community level. This paper describes work done to develop and implement the open-source Community Based Health Information Tracking System (CHITS) Project, which was implemented to address this information management problem and its outcomes. Several lessons learned from the field as well as software development strategies are highlighted in building community level information systems that link to national level health information systems.

Figure 1

Modular and incremental software development (adapted from Heeks [13])

Figure 2

CHITS consult page showing patients who have arrived for health center services. The highlighted name belongs to a patient who has been flagged for referral to health center physician, an innovation suggested by health center staff. Strong identifiers have been blacked out.

Figure 3

Vertical programs in the third column map to CHITS modules in the middle column, which the end user interacts with using a single, unified interface.

Figure 4

Training of community health workers

Figure 5

Encounter with health center nurse who also acts as system administrator