2017 ICT4D Conference

An eRegistry is an organized system for collecting, managing, analyzing, and most importantly, using data to improve women and children’s health.

eRegistries are strategically designed to facilitate data use – through accurate and easily available clinical decision support for health care providers, personalized messages to clients, and automated analysis and reporting to public health officials. These built-in features ensure timely use of data by all those who need it.

The evolution of health information from aggregate data reporting to individual-level data is becoming the new norm. Implementing eRegistries is, however, a far more fundamental leap than merely changing reporting routines and technology - it changes how health systems work. Based on point-of-care registration, data points drive decision support and workflows along and across the continuum of care, while indicators are derived and presented to supervisors and managers.

In implementation efforts, the eRegistries strategy prioritizes country ownership and collaboration to promote long term sustainability and scalability. The eRegistries toolkits are designed to be adapted and customized to each unique setting. Strategic features include: Safe, secure and ethical data collection, management, and storage; evidence-based reproductive health indicators derived from the WHO essential interventions; open source data collection platforms; and timely utilization of data by health care providers, women, families and public health officials.

To illustrate the criterions for successfully implementing eRegistries for maternal and child health, we will present experiences from diverse settings such as Palestine and Bangladesh on their path from innovation and research projects towards national scale.