WHO Clinical Registry

Systematic facility-based data collection on primary, emergency, critical and operative care helps identify gaps in care. Standardized analyses and audits of this data allow high-yield targeted quality improvements and have been shown to save lives. Clinical registries are structured information systems to gather standardized data on pre-identified patient groups, improve clinical care, support research and inform policy and planning.

Registries with built-in analytical capabilities play a crucial role in identifying potentially preventable deaths, as well as other poor outcomes and near misses that signal gaps in care or system weaknesses. Registries allow capture of detailed information on patient presentation, treatment, and outcomes, which can be integrated across the entire continuum of care, from prehospital settings and emergency unit visits to inpatient services.

By analyzing data, registries help uncover patterns of care linked to adverse outcomes, enabling the identification of cases where mortality or complications might have been avoidable. This insight drives a continuous cycle of quality improvement, directly informing corrective actions and interventions.

Over time, this iterative process strengthens health systems, enhances resilience, and leads to better health outcomes.

Tool

The WHO Clinical Registry is a free, web-based platform that helps health facilities systematically collect, analyze, and use clinical data to improve emergency care outcomes. It is housed on the widely used DHIS2 platform.

Key features

Using WHO Standardized Clinical Forms, facilities can easily capture essential data points while promoting a consistent, systematic approach to patient care.

The platform includes automated dashboards and reporting tools that support clinical quality improvement, health system planning, and academic research.

Audit filters allow users to quickly identify cases where simple changes in clinical processes could prevent complications or deaths—enabling targeted, high-impact improvements.

The platform provides flexible operations both online and offline and is accessible through multiple modalities, including a web app and Android app, ensuring reliable access.

Clinical modules and datasets

The WHO clinical registry platform offers a range of clinical modules for specific patient populations, with corresponding datasets - minimum sets of recommended data elements, accompanied by detailed descriptive metadata, to support effective monitoring and quality improvement.

Available modules

Injury
Emergency care encounters

Upcoming modules

Primary care
Operative encounters (surgery)
Critical care
Key conditions such as sepsis

The WHO Dataset for Injury is targeted for care of injured patients. It includes a core set of 41 data elements, and 27 extended elements for settings with more comprehensive data collection capabilities.

Designed for all types of emergency care presentations, this dataset incorporates dataset for injury variables along with those for medical emergencies. It adds key elements such as prehospital time metrics and triage details, to a total of 47 core data elements and 31 extended elements.