13 Nov 2007

An All-Ireland health data inventory – which can be openly accessed through the Internet – was launched today (13 November) by the Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH).

The inventory, the first of its kind on the island, systematically describes over 150 key sources of health-related data in the Republic and Northern Ireland. Associate Director of the IPH, Dr. Kevin Balanda, explained how the inventory works and who might find it useful.

 "Users can log onto www.inispho.org and search on any health topic – be it a particular condition (e.g. diabetes or cancer), a lifestyle issue (e.g. obesity or smoking) or a broader determinant of health such as education and poverty. The user is then presented with a list of all relevant data sources together with details about each of them. If any of the data sources looks like it might be useful, users are told how they can access them".

"As well accessing health-related data, it is also important that people can gather together the other types of information - such as research and evaluation reports, policies and strategies and details of relevant projects being conducted around the island.

“We are disseminating the Inventory through a network - called the 'All-Ireland electronic Health Library (AIeHL) - of websites that contain such information. The AIeHL can be accessed through any of its member sites including www.inispho.org, www.health-data.info or www.wellnet-ni.com.

 "It will be a valuable resource for health service planners, public health bodies, voluntary health organisations, community groups, researchers and many others interested in information on health in Ireland,” he said.

Dr Balanda said that making better use of up-to-date information would help drive improvements in the quality and safety of services and support broader efforts to improve the public's health and reduce health inequalities.

"If people are to make better decisions in the health area then they have to make better use of up-to-date information. This applies across all areas including the provision of health and social care, the planning and management of services, the prevention of serious disease and disability, or the development of public policy to create a healthier society.

"And the first step towards achieving this is to let people know about the data that is being collected and to make it available to them. To this end, the IPH developed this Inventory with its partners.”

The Inventory was launched at a seminar that was co-hosted with the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA). Dr Balanda concluded by saying that, "The IPH is delighted to co-host the seminar with HIQA because HIQA has such a clear role in strengthening health information and supporting its use to improve decision-making in health.”

The resource was developed by Ireland and Northern Ireland's Population Health Observatory (INIsPHO), which is housed within the IPH.

Further Information
Arlene McKay, IPH Communications Officer +44 (0)28 90648494. 

Note to Editor
The Institute of Public Health in Ireland is an all-island body which aims to combat health inequalities and influence public policy in favour of health. Its remit is to ' promote co-operation for public health between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland' including the areas of monitoring and surveillance.  Further information can be accessed at www.publichealth.ie

The Population Health Observatory was established in 2005 to produce and disseminate health information and intelligence in order to improve health and reduce health inequalities.