Principles

The Public Health Informatics Institute assists public health and health care customers to strategically manage and apply health information systems.

Our work is guided by principles and methodology that have emerged from our experience in public health, health care, and informatics. The Institute has been assisting health organizations to leverage the power of information systems since 1992. The Institute grew out of All Kids Count, a program funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. All Kids Count was instrumental in the development of immunization registries—one of the first widely implemented public health information systems – and in the development of integrated child health information systems. We evolved into the Public Health Informatics Institute in 2002, building on the lessons learned in All Kids Count to formulate a strategic approach to assisting health organizations to apply and manage information systems. See All Kids Count 1991–2004: Developing Information Systems to Improve Child Health and the Delivery of Immunizations and Preventive Services.

At the Public Health Informatics Institute, we understand that effective health information systems are about more than technology. We help our customers to address issues of leadership, governance, stakeholders, organizational strategy, financial support, policy support, and evaluation. Because we also understand the power inherent in collaboratively developed information systems solutions, we assist our customers to address health information systems in partnership with other organizations.

In working with our health information systems customers,
we apply four guiding principles.

Principle #1. Engage all stakeholders.

Principle #2. Put the logical before the physical.

Principle #3. Plan for interoperability.

Principle #4. Manage for accountability.