The Health Information and Quality Authority today published a comprehensive catalogue of health information sources. The catalogue will increase awareness about the purpose and content of these sources and how the data can be accessed. The publication of the catalogue will also identify any gaps or inconsistencies in health information.

Professor Jane Grimson, Director of Health Information with the Authority said, “Health is information-intensive, generating huge volumes of data every day. It is estimated that up to 30% of the total health budget may be spent one way or another on handling information, collecting it, looking for it, storing it. It is therefore imperative that information is managed in the most effective way possible in order to ensure a high quality, safe service.”

“The current Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure in Ireland’s health and social care sector is highly fragmented with major gaps and silos of information which prevents the safe, effective transfer of information. This results in unnecessary duplication and the waste of valuable resources. There is an urgent need to develop an integrated approach to health information based on standards and best practice that will equip patients and providers with reliable and accurate information to make choices. The publication of this Catalogue is a step towards the development of these standards and is part of the ongoing work of the Authority.

Safe, reliable, healthcare depends on access to, and the use of, information that is accurate, valid, reliable, timely, relevant, legible and complete. This catalogue provides for the first time a ‘one-stop-shop’ of all national patient-level health and social care data sources and provides a detailed description of all health and social care information sources.

Professor Grimson concluded, “Health information has a key role to play in healthcare planning decisions - where to locate a new service, whether or not to introduce a new national screening programme and decisions on best value for money in health and social care provision. The catalogue is an important step in ensuring everyone has access to the most up-to-date information to assist in those decisions.”

Further Information: 

Marty Whelan, Head of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement
01 814 7481 / 086 2447 623
mwhelan@hiqa.ie