View source for Visions and strategies to improve evaluation of health information systems: Reflections and lessons based on the HIS-EVAL workshop in Innsbruck

Ammenwerth, E., Brender, J., Nykänen, P., Prokosch, H. U., Rigby, M., & Talmon, J. (2004). Visions and strategies to improve evaluation of health information systems: Reflections and lessons based on the HIS-EVAL workshop in Innsbruck. International journal of medical informatics, 73(6), 479-491.  <ref name="Ammenwerth"> Ammenwerth, E., Brender, J., Nykänen, P., Prokosch, H. U., Rigby, M., & Talmon, J. (2004). Visions and strategies to improve evaluation of health information systems: Reflections and lessons based on the HIS-EVAL workshop in Innsbruck. International journal of medical informatics, 73(6), 479-491. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15171977 </ref>

== Background ==
Evaluation in HIS includes assessing the “quality, value, effects, and impacts of information technology” as well as  its implementation that leads to improvements and evidence-based practices. However, difficultly in evaluation may begin with identifying what area to first start in or an approach that will function optimally. Health informatics is valuable has entered the health care field with plans to facilitate future innovations and operations in the application of patient care <ref name="Haux">Haux, R., Ammenwerth, E., Herzog, W., & Knaup, P. (2002). Health care in the information society. A prognosis for the year 2013. International journal of medical informatics, 66(1), 3-21. </ref> <ref name='Rigby'> Rigby, M., Roberts, R., & Thick, M. (Eds.). (2000). Taking health telematics into the 21st century. Radcliffe Publishing.</ref>

== Methods ==
This study looked at a subjectivist approach for evaluation by hosting a program called New Approaches to the Systematic Evaluation of Health Information Sciences (HIS-EVAL) served as a forum to discuss barriers and problems to evaluation, creation of visions for evaluation needs, as well as action steps to achieve strategic evaluation

== Results ==
Participants of the HIS-EVAL created a Declaration of Innsbruck<ref name="Innsbruck"> Talmon, J. L., & Ammenwerth, E. (2004, November). “The Declaration of Innsbruck”: Some Reflections. In Health Continuum and Data Exchange in Belgium and in the Netherlands: Proceeedings of Medical Informatics Congress (MIC 2004) & 5th Belgian E-Health Conference (Vol. 110, p. 68). IOS Press. http://ebooks.iospress.nl/publication/10011</ref>which pointed out observations and recommendations of what should be considered for evaluation of HIS.

== Conclusions ==
This workshop served as a forum for the European network and possibly a framework for future evaluation use of HIS. 
 
== Comments ==
This article was interesting as it presenting some of the difficulties facing evaluation of health information and its systems. Additionally, from a subjectivist approach, it allows for different minds and theorist to come together to decide what reasons and ideas could be used for standardizing evaluation methods. 

== References ==
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[[Category:Reviews]] 
[[Category:Evaluation]]