Information systems' importance for health care action planning and policy making by the municipality of Porto Alegre - Brazil

Abstract

After the Federal Constitution of 1988 was issued, the Brazilian health system started using a new concept of decentralized health management. In 1990, an Act was voted that introduced the Unified Health System (SUS) and a year later an Information Systems Department was settled to support the Unified Health System (DATASUS). Based on the assumption that information systems (SI) help to improve the decision making process, and taking into account the context of the health industry in Brazil, the following research question was formulated: “How managers of the Basic Health Care network of Porto Alegre use the information generated by the many information systems of the Local Authority Health Secretary (SMS) to plan strategies for the Family Health Program (PSF)?” Thus, by means of a single exploratory case study carried out in Porto Alegre in 2008, the authors identified the main information systems used by the Family Health Program and, based on data gathered from those systems about 2006 and 2007, several analyses were performed to check for inconsistencies. Managers of the Family Health Program were questioned about the discrepancies that were found in the data used by the Local Authority Health Secretary. Results show that the information systems are not integrated, data is not reliable, there is little strategic alignment in the Local Authority Health Secretary and little commitment of those involved with the health area at the local level.