Health information systems in the Islamic Republic of Iran: a case study in Kerman province

Health information systems provide information for decision-making at all levels, from planning and management to evaluation of health services. Registration of vital events is the most basic level of any health information system. This case study used in-depth interviews, observations and examination of documents to explore the system of births and deaths registration in Kerman province. The findings were evaluated under 3 headings: data input, data processing and data usage. A range of problems were identified concerning legal requirements, staffing, data checking and publication of data. Different approaches are suggested to strengthen the system, such as introducing regulations to oblige different data sources to provide data and allocating sufficient resources, including human resources, and an improved technology infrastructure.