Eye health information systems in selected countries

Abstract

One of the important factors for achieving “Vision 2020” targets is the availability and accessibility of eye health information systems. This study aimed to describe eye health information systems in selected countries. The status of eye health information systems in Australia, the United States, and England was reviewed. Data were gathered from the PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect databases. The main key terms used included, but were not limited to “National Action plan”, “Eye Health Information System”, “Database”, and “Registery”. Also, the websites of the World Health Organization, the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, and Departments of Health in the selected countries were accessed. Fifty documents and articles of 170 retrieved references related to the research goals were used in this study. In all three countries, the issue of eye health is considered to be a national health priority. Concerning data gathering, the most common point in these countries was data gathered directly (health information systems, eye registries) and indirectly (studies, projects, and surveillance systems) by the organizations that participated in eye health programs. Producing accessible, timely, and highly quality information about eye health is one of the most important goals in the formation of eye health information systems in the selected countries, which facilitates achievement of the goals of the “Vision 2020: The Right to Sight” initiative.

Keywords

• Eye Health Information System; Vision 2020; World Health Organization