Enhancing health information systems to collect data is critical to strengthening rehabilitation services, according to the WHO initiative, Rehabilitation 2030: a call for action. Data collection for rehabilitation through routine health facility reporting is required to underpin rehabilitation decision-making in health policy, management and clinical care.

Data from both individual and service records are used for defining rehabilitation sector targets and outcomes, clinical decision-making, estimates of service utilization, and quality management. Regular monitoring of rehabilitation services at national and subnational levels provides information on service availability and distribution which may be used to guide policies aimed at achieving universal health coverage (UHC). Information on individuals’ level of functioning is essential since the goal of rehabilitation is to optimize functioning for people with impairments, injuries, and acute or chronic diseases.

The Routine health information systems – rehabilitation toolkit has been built around a standard set of indicators that guide the data collected and support the integration of rehabilitation into facility-level reporting. The WHO core rehabilitation facility indicators are described in the Guidance document along with their interpretation and use.

Data collection and reporting from facilities may be supported by any electronic platform. This toolkit includes a digital package developed with District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2), an open-source software developed by the University of Oslo and implemented in over 70 countries.  

A training resource for data analysis and data entry for rehabilitation will be available soon.