Public health indicators for the EU: the joint action for ECHIM (European Community Health Indicators & Monitoring)

Archives of Public Health

Marieke Verschuuren¹  Mika Gissler⁶  Katri Kilpeläinen⁶  Antti Tuomi-Nikula⁶  Ari-Pekka Sihvonen⁶  Jürgen Thelen⁵  Rita Gaidelyte⁴  Silvia Ghirini²  Nils Kirsch⁵  Remigijus Prochorskas⁴  Emanuele Scafato²  Pieter Kramers⁶  Arpo Aromaa³ 

[1] RIVM, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, P.O. Box 1, Bilthoven, BA, NL - 3720, the Netherlands

[2] ISS, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, Rome, IT - 00161, Italy

[3] Ratakatu 1a, Helsinki, FI-00120, Finland

[4] Center of Health Information, Institute of Hygiene, Didzioji 22, Vilnius, LT – 01128, Lithuania

[5] Robert Koch Institute, P.O. Box 65 02 61, D-13302, Berlin, Germany

[6] THL, National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, Helsinki, FI - 00270, Finland

关键词: Public health reporting;    Public health monitoring;    Public health indicators;   

Others  :  790878
DOI  :  10.1186/0778-7367-71-12

 received in 2013-02-23, accepted in 2013-04-20,  发布年份 2013

【 摘 要 】

Background

Public health policies aim to improve and maintain the health of citizens. Relevant data and indicators are needed for a health policy that is based on factual information. After 14 years of work (1998–2012), the multi-phase action on European Community Health Indicators (ECHI) has created a health monitoring and reporting system. It has generated EU added value by defining the ECHI shortlist with 88 common and comparable key health indicators for Europe.

Methods

In the 2009-2012 Joint Action for ECHIM project the ECHI shortlist was updated through consultation with Member State representatives. Guidelines for implementation of the ECHI Indicators at national level were developed and a pilot data collection was carried out.

Results

67 of the ECHI Indicators are already part of regular international data collections and thus available for a majority of Member States, 14 are close to ready and 13 still need development work. By mid-2012 half of the countries have incorporated ECHI indicators in their national health information systems and the process is ongoing in the majority of the countries. Twenty-five countries were able to provide data in a Pilot Data Collection for 20 ECHI Indicators that were not yet (fully) available in the international databases.

Conclusions

The EU needs a permanent health monitoring and reporting system. The Joint Action for ECHIM has set an example for the implementation of a system that can develop and maintain the ECHI indicators,, and promote and encourage the use of ECHI in health reporting and health policy making. The aim for sustainable public health monitoring is also supported by a Eurostat regulation on public health statistics requiring that health statistics shall be provided according to the ECHI methodology. Further efforts at DG SANCO and Eurostat are needed towards a permanent health monitoring system.

【 授权许可】

   
2013 Verschuuren et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

【 参考文献 】

• [1]Commission of the European Communities: Commission communication on the framework for action in the field of public health. Report No.: COM (93) 559. Brussels: Commission of the European Communities; 1993.
• [2]Aromaa A: Health monitoring for the European Union. A report of an expert group set up by the commission to advise on the organisation of health monitoring. Helsinki: National Public Health Institute; 2000.
• [3]European Communities: Treaty of Amsterdam: Amending the treaty on European Union, The treaties establishing the European communities and certain related acts. Official publication of the European Communities. Report No.: C 340. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities; 1997.
• [4]Kramers P, the ECHI team: Context, selection, definition. In Final report by the ECHI project phase II. Edited by Public health indicators for the European Union. Bilthoven: Centre for Public Health Forecasting, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment; 2005.
• [5]Kramers P: The ECHI project, Health indicators for the European Community. Eur J Public Health 2003, 13:101-106.
• [6]Kilpeläinen K, Aromaa A, the ECHIM Core Group: Development and initial implementation. In Final report of the ECHIM project. Edited by European health indicators. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press; 2008.
• [7]Aromaa A: Implementation of joint health indicators in Europe - Joint Action for ECHIM, Arpo Aromaa on behalf of the ECHIM core group. Arch Public Health 2012, 70:22. BioMed Central Full Text
• [8]Verschuuren M, Kramers P, Gudfinnsdottir G, Aromaa A: Providing a solid evidence base for policy makers: ECHI initiative. EuroHealth 2010, 16:3.
• [9]Verschuuren M, Achterberg PW, Gijsen R, Harbers MM, Vijge E, Wilk EA Van D, Kramers PGN: ECHI indicator development and documentation. Joint Action for ECHIM Final Report Part II. Bilthoven: ECHIM project partners; 2012.
• [10]Tuomi-Nikula A, Gissler M, Sihvonen A-P, Kilpeläinen K, and the ECHIM Core Group: Implementation of European Health Indicators – first years. Helsinki: National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL); 2012.
• [11]DG SANCO website: Data collection – Tools - Improving health reporting mechanisms. [http://ec.europa.eu/health/data_collection/tools/mechanisms/index_en.htm#fragment0 webcite
• [12]European Commission: HEIDI Data Tool. http://ec.europa.eu/health/indicators/indicators/index_en.htm webcite
• [13]Lithuanian customised version of the WHO Data Presentation System (DPS). http://sic.hi.lt/html/en/lhic.htm webcite
• [14]Harbers MM, Van der Wilk EA, Kramers PGN, Kuunders MMAP, Verschuuren M, Eliyahu H, Achterberg P: Dare to Compare! Benchmarking Dutch health with the European Community Health Indicators (ECHI). RIVM report number 270051011. Houten: Bohn Stafleu Van Loghum; 2008.
• [15]La santé en France et en Europe: Convergences et contrastes. Paris: Direction de l’information légale et administrative & Haut Conseil de la Santé Publique; 2012.
• [16]Thelen J, Kirsch NH, Finger J: Joint Action for ECHIM: Final Report Part III - ECHIM Pilot Data Collection, Analyses and Dissemination. Berlin, Germany: Robert Koch Institute; 2013.
• [17]Commission of the European Communities: White paper: Together for Health: A Strategic Approach for the EU 2008–2013. Brussels: Commission of the European Communities; 2007.
• [18]Regulation (EC) No 1338/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of December 2008 on Community statistics on public health and safety at work Off J Eur Union 354/70:dd31-12-2008.
• [19]Commission Regulation (EU) No 141/2013 of 19 February 2013 implementing Regulation (EC) No 1338/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on Community statistics on public health and health and safety at work, as regards statistics based on the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS) J Eur Union L 47/20:dd20.2.2013.