Health information system evaluation tools: a scoping review and tool development

Background: The purpose of this scoping review was to collect articles or reports that describe a framework or assessment tool used to evaluate a country or program’s health information system with a specific interest in the assessment of an adolescent health information system. If an assessment is not found for adolescent health, we can then assess how each was used and define the domains in each tool. We then hope to adopt a time-efficient, collective, and exclusive tool that can be used to evaluate the adolescent health information system in humanitarian settings. 

Methods: A scoping review was performed to find tools used to assess health information systems. MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Web of Sciences databases were searched as well as the reference lists of included articles. The main inclusion criteria were that the article or report had to describe the tool or framework used to measure a health information system of a program or country. 

Results: Out of 2366 articles, 34 articles and reports were found describing ten assessment tools. The most popular tools were the Performance of Routine Information System Management (PRISM) tools by MEASURE Evaluation, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) surveillance system guidelines, and the Health Metrics Network assessment tool. The assessed main domains were resources, human resources, data sources, indicators, data management, data quality, data demand, use, and stakeholder engagement. Most assessments were adapted from the original to fit country and program needs and were used in humanitarian settings. 

Conclusion: No assessment tool was found to address adolescent health information needs precisely. With the different tools found, we choose the most critical domains of each tool to adopt as an assessment tool to address the adolescent health information system. This tool will be piloted in the occupied Palestinian territories, which is currently facing a humanitarian setting.