ECHIM Final Report

Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.............................................................................................................. 8
SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................. 11
1. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................... 13
1.1. Framework............................................................................................................ 13
1.2. Public health policy, health indicators and health information ............................. 13
1.3. Objectives, methods and outcomes ....................................................................... 15
1.4. Organisation ......................................................................................................... 17
2. CURRENT STATE OF HEALTH INFORMATION AND INDICATORS.................................... 20
2.1. Historical and structural determinants................................................................... 20
2.2. Health information systems in Member States....................................................... 21
2.3. Major international data sources............................................................................ 24
3. THE ECHI INDICATOR LISTS ............................................................................................... 30
3.1. Frame and background.......................................................................................... 30
3.2. Update process of the ECHI shortlist.................................................................... 33
3.3. Additions to the ECHI shortlist............................................................................ 36
3.4. ECHI shortlist and longlist: further development.................................................. 37
3.5. Impact of the ECHI shortlist................................................................................. 39
3.6. Documentation Sheets ......................................................................................... 40
4. AVAILABILITY OF ECHI INDICATORS.................................................................................. 48
4.1. Identifying the international data sources.............................................................. 48
4.2. Assessment of the availability of the ECHI shortlist indicators ............................. 49
4.3. Needs for improving information systems and their comparability........................ 54
5. IMPLEMENTATION OF ECHI INDICATORS ......................................................................... 56
5.1. The implementation process and tools................................................................... 56
5.2. Information derived from the ECHIM Survey...................................................... 58
5.3. Comparing Country Reports and ECHIM Survey results..................................... 63
5.4. Initial experiences at the start of the implementation process ............................... 64
5.5. Outcome of implementation by 2008................................................................... 67
6. NEXT STAGES IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF HEALTH
INDICATORS AND THEIR DATA SOURCES......................................................................... 69
6.1. Indicator development........................................................................................... 69
6.2. The future of ECHIM........................................................................................... 69
6.3. Interaction with Member States and their experts ................................................. 71
6.4. Developing the data flow and gathering of new indicators..................................... 72
6.5. Analysis of health in Europe based on old and new indicators............................... 73
7. CONCLUSIONS...................................................................................................................... 75
7.1. Current state in Europe......................................................................................... 76
7.2. Availability and comparability............................................................................... 76
8. RECOMMENDATIONS........................................................................................................... 78