Abstract

TERAN, Iris; AQUINO, Ali  and  GUEVARA, Milady. Proper use of the Health Information System of the Integral Health Care Model in out-patients Clinics. Santiago Mariño Municipality,  Aragua state. Comunidad y Salud [online]. 2006, vol.4, n.2, pp.22-33. ISSN 1690-3293.

In Venezuela, until 1994 the model of administrative management and the fragmented registration system were centralized. The descentralization process which started after wards promoted the strenghtening of the Information Health System of the Integral Care Model (SISMAI) which performs a vital role in the action of the out-patients clinic network. The present research is descriptive quanti-qualitative cross sectional study, aimed to evaluate the achievements of SISMAI in the management of the out - patients network  in Santiago Mariño Municipality, Aragua state, during 2006. The studied sample comprises 6 health centers and 14 key informers.  Analysis of the qualitative results was carried on by subject grouping of different areas within the evaluated system and the group of informers according to the reference levels within the health care establishments. As for the quantitative analysis concerns information and knowledge concerning management in SISMAI by the health team in its different reference levels, showed that 78.6%   of  the interviewed have an “inadequate level of knowledge”; “scarce or null”. When usefullness of SISMAI as a tool for decision making in the different levels of the out-patients clinics network was evaluated, 71.4 of the interviewed answered positively. A conclusion on the profitable use of SISMAI can be conclude. Finally, its application for increasing the quality of local health management are closely linked with attitudes of patients, terms and speed of the system in supplying the proper information and services and finally the political will of the Municipality Health Direction.

Keywords : Health Care Information Systems; Integral Health Care Models; Health Management; Health Strategies Management; Management Evaluation.