# Promoting data-driven decision-making in Jordan: strengthening national health information system and achieving consensus on core set of health system indicators

## TL;DR

This study improves Jordan's health information system by identifying key indicators and creating standardized procedures to support data-driven decision-making.

## Contribution

The study establishes a consensus on a core set of health indicators and develops procedure manuals for Jordan's health system.

## Key findings

- A baseline assessment identified governance, infrastructure, and data management as key areas for improvement in Jordan's health information system.
- A final validated set of 55 core health, 40 maternal and child, and 26 refugee health indicators was developed through stakeholder consensus.
- Three procedure manuals were created to standardize the use of the selected indicators.

## Abstract

A well-functioning health information system (HIS) is foundational for strong health systems and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. In Jordan, the national HIS, overseen by the Ministry of Health, faces challenges related to overlapping data collection, data availability gaps, and operational inefficiencies which compromise effective decision-making. This study aims to promote data-driven decision-making in Jordan by assessing the existing HIS and fostering consensus on a standardized set of indicators for core health system functions, maternal, child and adolescent health, and refugee health.

A multifaceted stepwise approach was adopted, encompassing the following steps: baseline assessment of HIS, compilation of a comprehensive list of candidate indicators, consensus meetings to prioritize and validate the indicators, and development of procedure manual for standardizing the shortlisted indicators.

The baseline assessment of HIS identified areas for improvement at the following levels: governance and planning; infrastructure and resources; data management; and institutional capacity to support data-driven decision-making. Of 4,120 indicators reviewed from international sources and 215 from Jordan's indicators inventory, 415 candidate indicators were compiled and categorized into three priority thematic areas: core health and health systems indicators (n = 167), maternal, child and adolescent health indicators (n = 137), and refugee health indicators (n = 111). Fifteen stakeholders took part in the first consensus meeting, 14 in the second, and 10 in the third meeting. Utilizing a criterion-based ranking system, participants independently rated each candidate indicator against three criteria: Importance, Feasibility, and Actionability. The shortlisted indicators were subsequently validated against the criterion ‘retain’. This process resulted in a final validated list of indicators, comprising 55 core health systems indicators (33 of which are reported in Jordan); 40 maternal, child and adolescent health indicators (21 of which are reported in Jordan); and 26 refugee health indicators (none of which are reported in Jordan). Participants also suggested indicators to be added to each thematic areas. Three procedure manuals were developed and validated, corresponding to the three thematic areas.

Findings from this study can contribute to the broader discourse on HIS reforms in Jordan, emphasizing the need for ongoing efforts to enhance data quality, stakeholder collaboration, and infrastructure.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12978-025-01988-1.

In this study, we seek to strengthen Jordan's national health information system (HIS), which is overseen by the Ministry of Health, by assessing its current state and establishing a consensus on a standardized set of national indicators. A multistep approach was employed, involving a baseline assessment of the HIS, compilation of potential indicators, consensus meetings, and the creation of procedure manuals for the standardized indicators.Results from the baseline assessment highlighted areas for improvement in governance, planning, infrastructure, resources, data management, and institutional capacity of the HIS. A total of 415 candidate indicators were compiled from Jordan and international sources, focusing on core health systems, maternal, child and adolescent health, as well as refugee health. Stakeholders participated in consensus meetings, using a criteria-based ranking system to independently assess the indicators based on importance, feasibility, and actionability. The final set of validated indicators included 55 core health systems indicators, 40 maternal, child and adolescent health indicators, and 26 refugee health indicators. Participants also suggested additional indicators for inclusion.The study's findings offer valuable insights for national discussions among key stakeholders in Jordan, emphasizing the importance of continuous efforts to enhance data quality, stakeholder collaboration, and infrastructure for strengthening HIS. The approach, tools and manuals can be adapted by other countries to strengthen their own HIS, facilitating data-driven health policymaking on a global scale.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12978-025-01988-1.