title: [Health information systems in the Mesoamerican Region].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate and analyze health information systems (his) in the Mesoamerican Region.
  
  
  METHODS
  The conceptual framework and tools of the Health Metrics Network (nhm) was used. It measures six components of the his assessment: resources, indicators, data sources, information management, products and use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study we found that the average score of the HIS in the Mesoamerican region was 57%, being the maximum value for Mexico (75%) and the minimum for El Salvador (41%). The item that had lowest scores was that referring to the Management and Administration, where the average assessment was 37%, placing it as present but not adequate. The component with the highest score was Information Products with more than 69%, adequate. In any case, no items were very adequate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The performance of his is heterogeneous between countries. It is necessary to strengthen and standardize the criteria of the his in the region, so that these are integrated and used in the decision making process based on real information.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Información para Decisiones en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México.
authors.forename: Lina Sofía
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Palacio-Mejía
authors.forename: Juan Eugenio
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hernández-Ávila
authors.forename: Aremis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Villalobos
authors.forename: María Alejandra
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cortés-Ortiz
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Agudelo-Botero
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Plaza
mesh_terms: D002489:Central America; D033181:Information Dissemination; D019451:Information Management; D007255:Information Services / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D007256:Information Systems / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008490:Medical Informatics; D008800:Mexico; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D012107:Research Design