Using a Business Case Model to Support Integration of Child Health Information Systems
The Business Case Model (BCM) is a powerful Excel-based tool designed to provide a detailed picture of the specific costs and benefits related to the integration of child health information systems. The BCM was produced by the Public Health Informatics Institute and developed by a health economist at the Lewin Group. The BCM helps develop a clear business case for public health practitioners, providing credible data to support the implementation of integrated systems.
The BCM is designed to:
- Address the questions that may be asked by funders, decision-makers, and other stakeholders
- Stimulate discussion and generate buy-in based on documented facts and figures
- Allow comparisons between differing integration scenarios to determine which has the most benefits and greatest return on investment before committing resources to integration.
The Business Case Model is preloaded with state-specific data needed to quantify the value of integrating the following child health information systems: Vital Records (VR), Immunization, Newborn Dried Bloodspot Screening (NDBS), Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI), Lead Screening, Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT), Birth Defects, and Women Infants and Children (WIC) programs.
The BCM is designed to be flexible enough to reflect the unique characteristics of each state's child health information system, population, and child health statistics. The design of the BCM also allows an advanced user to incorporate more current and/or accurate information (when it is available) to be used in the calculations. The BCM incorporates each of these elements in order to address the question: “What are the financial, health, and business consequences of integration using different scenarios?”
The Business Case Model is available free of charge to anyone wishing to use it. However, training on use of the Model and interpretation of the results is required before access is allowed to the Model. If you are interested in the training sessions or would like more information, please contact the Institute at: info@phii.org. The links below provide access to the most current versions of the BCM User Guide and Technical Report:
The BCM was developed under an agreement with the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau (HRSA/MCHB) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
