title: Linking primary care information systems and public health information networks: lessons from the Philippines.
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.
authors.affiliation: Medical Informatics Unit, University of the Philippines, College of Medicine, Pedro Gil Street, Manila, Philippines.herman.tolentino@gmail.com
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tolentino
authors.forename: Alvin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marcelo
authors.forename: Portia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marcelo
authors.forename: Inocencio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Maramba
mesh_terms: D003153:Community Health Services; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services; D007256:Information Systems; D010679:Philippines; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011634:Public Health