Focus Areas
Why Strong Health Information Systems Matter
A well-designed health information system (HIS) incorporates and transforms data into robust and reliable insights to improve healthcare services, inform policy and infrastructure decisions, and guide optimal use of human and financial resources. A strong HIS is also key to global health security, allowing governments to prevent and quickly detect and respond to threats posed by infectious diseases more rapidly and accurately.
Our Expertise in Health Information Systems
Our experience strengthening health information systems and data use spans 30 years and over 50 countries. We partner with bilateral and multilateral donors, local and international partners, as well as country governments and intergovernmental agencies across sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East to strengthen health information systems and planning and implementation of digital health solutions, including:
- Integration of open source HIS platforms, such as DHIS2.
- Establishing digital health standard operating procedures and digital health strategies.
- Integrating disparate data sources for disease surveillance.
- Improving efficiency and increasing data quality.
- Performing digital health ecosystem assessments and lead performance monitoring of digital health investments.
Our Approach to Digital Health Integration
Leveraging Cross-Sectional Capabilities
We leverage our cross-sectoral capabilities and broad global expertise in global health security; malaria; data analytics, survey sciences; and monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERLA) to help governments improve the systems that collect and process their national health data. We are aligned with USAID’s Digital Policy (released July 2024) and its three key goals (Build, Transform, Protect). We were early endorsers of the Principles for Digital Development and draw from our suite of innovative tools and technologies. We leverage Global Goods for Health, international standards, and an approach to Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) that helps to harmonize data collection tools for improved efficiency and increased data quality, building on currently available data collection platforms and approaches and using proven mobile and web-based technologies.
By integrating advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning alongside traditional data collection methods, we help countries build resilient, interoperable, and secure digital health ecosystems. Whether it is ascertaining if the right tracking indicators are being used to collect the desired information, assuring proper data responsibility (governance, privacy protections, data practices), improving user access to the system, or identifying systemic weaknesses, our solutions are always open source and tailored to the specific needs and objectives of our clients.
Integrating Non-Health Data in HIS
We also consider digital ecosystems more broadly and help countries integrate key non-health data into their HIS to build resilience and adaptability into their health care services. Tracking agricultural data, for example, can help leaders monitor emerging threats to food security, such as the transmission of interspecies diseases. Meteorological data can pinpoint the conditions that ease the spread of mosquito populations that carry Zika, dengue, and malaria into regions previously unaffected by these diseases. We also developed several modeling platforms to estimate the burden of specific diseases and health conditions, project future trends, and assess the impact of interventions on morbidity and mortality. Our platforms have successfully assisted local health officials in responding to various disease outbreaks, including COVID-19, mpox, and Ebola.
By improving communication and collaboration across sectors, building capacity, and merging relevant data sets, our digital health integration services help countries address and improve their unique health care challenges while strengthening global health security.
Project and Innovation Highlights
Country Health Information Systems and Data Use (CHISU)
CHISU is led by JSI Research & Training Institute in partnership with RTI and focuses on enhancing the capacity of host country governments to produce high-quality health information and efficiently manage data for evidence-based decision making. RTI is working in Kenya, Thailand, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and other countries to support the integration and harmonization of systems across health areas to improve data collection, analysis, and use at national and sub-national levels.
Electronic Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (eIDSR) System
With funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we are working with the DRC’s Ministry of Health to strengthen the surveillance system for epidemic-prone diseases at all levels of the health system, including piloting electronic data collection and enhanced data analysis, and improving risk communication and community engagement around COVID-19 and vaccine-preventable diseases. Previously, we supported Guinea to implement and scale up from phone- and paper-based management of surveillance data to nationwide use of eIDSR using the DHIS2 platform. This upgrade accelerated the country’s responses to the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 and led to rapid detection and containment of an Ebola outbreak in 2021.
Global Public Health Data Innovation (GPHDI) Coordinated Technical Engagement and Support (CTES) Monitoring Project
The Global Public Health Data Innovation (GPHDI) initiative, led by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), aims to provide decision makers with timely, accurate, and comprehensive public health data to effectively prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats. In collaboration with CDC and Peraton, RTI led a two-phased performance monitoring exercise, across 10 countries, reviewing over 57 activities by 28 implementing partners. The aim was to capture digital health implementation progress, key achievements, and lessons learned against GPHDI activity objectives; as well as interpret the implications of GPHDI’s contributions to the digital health ecosystems in host countries, in support of pandemic preparedness.
Controlling and Eliminating Neglected Tropical Diseases
Since 2006, we have led the implementation of USAID’s flagship neglected tropical disease (NTD) projects. Working in close partnership with WHO and Ministries of Health in over 20 countries, we have pioneered innovative technologies and tools to eliminate seven of the most common NTDs. Our activities to strengthen health information systems in these countries include improving data quality and use for evidence-based decision making and conducting innovative operational research. Learn more
USAID ReachHealth
Working across 11 regions in the Philippines, USAID ReachHealth improved family planning, maternal and child health, and COVID-19 services. We implemented HIS activities to strengthen critical health services for Filipino families, such as digitizing referral mechanisms to improve efficiency, developing online training courses for health care providers, and streamlining client satisfaction survey mechanisms in family planning and adolescent reproductive health at six hospitals. We also worked with the Department of Health to improve logistics and supply monitoring systems across project sites, ensuring availability of FP commodities. This included support to the roll out the USAID supported-DOH electronic Logistics Management Information System (eLMIS).
Rwanda Integrated Health Services Activity
We helped strengthen the efficiency and effectiveness of Rwanda’s community-based health insurance by integrating its electronic claims management system with electronic medical records using standardized interoperability approaches and technologies to improve the claims management system.
USAID Guinea Notre Santé (Our Health)
Building on our deep experience in strengthening Guinea’s health system since 2007, the USAID-funded Guinea Notre Santé project is improving health services and outcomes among vulnerable Guineans, especially women and children, while strengthening democratic processes and trust in the health system. We are working to increase use of strategic information, such as quality data for decision-making. Our interventions include improving the interoperability of health information systems and expanding the use and quality of existing data systems for disease surveillance.
Meet the Experts
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Rita Sembajwe
Rita Sembajwe
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Martin Osumba
Martin Osumba
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Eileen Reynolds
Eileen Reynolds
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Sathapana Naowarat
Sathapana Naowarat
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Adam Preston
Adam Preston
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Gabriel Krieshok
Gabriel Krieshok
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Donal Bisanzio
Donal Bisanzio
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Daren Trudeau
Daren Trudeau
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William E. Oswald
William E. Oswald
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Algaye NGOM
Algaye NGOM
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Jamie Pina
