Title:	ENABLING SEMANTIC INTEROPERABILITY OF DISEASE SURVEILLANCE DATA IN HETEROGENEOUS HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN NAMIBIA AS A STANDARD APPROACH
Author(s):	Nikodemus Angula and Nomusa Dlodlo
ISBN:	978-989-8533-75-3
Editors:	Piet Kommers and Pedro Isaías
Year:	2018
Edition:	Single
Keywords:	Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise, IHE, Health level Seven, HL7, Semantic Interoperability, Health Information Systems, Disease Surveillance, Enterpris
Type:	Full Paper
First Page:	281
Last Page:	288
Language:	English
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Full Contents:	click to dowload
Paper Abstract:	In the Namibian health sector silo information systems are run by the Ministry of Health and Social Services despite the 14 regions across the country. The Silo information systems came into existence through non-governmental organisations donation. Furthermore, District health information system (DHIS-2) for every region there is a main DHIS-2 at Khomas regional office under the MoHSS. As it stands, health information systems (HIS) such as the DHIS-2 and silo systems work separately from one another, therefore this study is centered on finding a framework to enable semantic interoperability of data in these heterogeneous health information systems (HIS). As a result this would enable the DHIS-2 and these silo systems in the Namibian public hospitals to act as an integrated platform that shares and exchanges disease-surveillance information. With the use of integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) standard, this research guides on how to integrate these heterogeneous health information systems through the adoption of established health standards. In addition, IHE and Health Level Seven (HL7) are implemented to interface DHIS and silo systems at a data level. Moreover, an Enterprise Master Index that uses the Patient Identification Segment is adopted. The purpose of this study was to design and develop a framework for data semantic interoperability of DHIS and these other health information silo systems so that they can exchange disease-surveillance information. The outcomes of this study are a framework to enable the semantic interoperability of disease surveillance data in Namibian hospitals through the adoption of IHE and HL7 standards in the form of an artifact that demonstrates how disease surveillance data can be integrated in the Namibian health domain.
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