WHO/Europe supports the 53 Member States of the European Region in making health services more accessible and efficient for the nearly 1 billion people living in the Region. Health information systems are an integral part of well-functioning health systems, contributing to transparent governance.

A health information system can be defined as a complex, multilevel system, aimed at producing health intelligence to inform decision-making, and encompassing data collection, analysis, health reporting, knowledge management and governance.

Efficient and reliable health information systems can help improve patient outcomes, inform research and influence policy- and decision-making. For these systems to be impactful and cost-effective, they need consistent and high-quality data from many different types of sources. These include clinical information systems, surveys, disease registries, health interviews and examination surveys, preventive programmes, and even data from sources outside the health domain, such as police data on violence and injuries, environmental data and social data.

The main challenges countries in the Region face related to their health information systems concern limited resources and capacity; insufficient coordination and collaboration, leading to fragmentation and problems with interoperability; lack of central governance; and limited use of health information for decision-making. To support countries in tackling these, WHO/Europe regularly carries out in-country assessments and offers a comprehensive package of tools and guidance documents.