Development of health Identification briefing note

BACKGROUND

Healthcare systems require the identification of users for a variety of purposes. This includes treating patients and managing their health records, verifying insurance or benefits coverage, and aggregating data to optimize performance, improve resource allocation, and facilitate research and disease surveillance. By enabling accurate and continuous record keeping of patients’ medical histories over time and across facilities, unique, digital identification systems offer large gains in efficiency and effectiveness over fragmented and paper-based health systems. Unique health identifiers (UHI) are one of the essential ICT foundations that underpin the smooth functioning of digital health at all levels. The need for identification strategies in the realm of health care data is rising, primarily because of the continued increase in the quantity and linkage of electronic health care data.

The 2018 Heads of Health meeting acknowledged the importance of the development of a national patient identifier system that would give each person in the Pacific countries a permanently assigned, unique number to be used across the entire spectrum of their national healthcare systems. One of the meeting outcomes was to conduct a situation analysis of the current health identification management systems in the Region. Tentative results from the study conducted in 2019 demonstrate that no countries have developed national health identification management system or have universal health identifier developed.

PURPOSE/SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE OF THE ACTIVITY

Different countries might adopt different approaches for developing unique health identifiers to fit their national circumstances and the nature of their health systems; however, the principles that follow could guide their development in countries. The consultant will work closely with WHO technical units to develop and write a guidance briefing note for small island countries based on existing materials (e.g. case study reports, regional survey data/questionnaires).  

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES TO BE CARRIED OUT

Output/s

Detailed scope of work includes:

• • Conceptualize, write and edit content for the health ID briefing note. The briefing note should be a summary highlighting all key findings of the report for policy advocacy and technical guidance for countries how to develop further national health identification
• • Journalistic layman style with consideration of the target audience for technical guidance and advocacy
• • Collaborate with graphic designer to develop infographic and fact boxes for briefing note.

METHODS TO CARRY OUT THE ACTIVITY

Output/s

Detailed scope of work includes:

A. Conceptualize, write and edit content for the health ID briefing note

• • Develop, write and edit the ID briefing note based on secondary research, interviews and data provided by the WHO Technical Team and external collaborators, and review or analyse relevant documents and data to support the writing, editing and finalization of the contents for the briefing note
• • Where necessary, liaise with WHO study to ‘run’ data sets to extract necessary information for further data validation or analysis.
• • Technical background documents include, but not limited to:
• • Technical guides (different agencies)
• • Literature reviews – scientific manuscripts
• • Secondary research and briefing reports
• • Draft case studies from Tuvalu, Tonga, Fiji and Vanuatu
• • Manuscripts for peer reviewed journals
• • Data collected from the countries (survey data)
• • Annotated 1-page outline, first draft, second draft, final draft with minor changes only, copy-editing, final length approx. 8 pages when laid out
• • Approximately 12 working days, including the cost of copy-editing to WHO style

B. Collaborate with knowledge management unit if WHO  

• • Collaborate designing the briefing note with graphic designer including design and layout, infographics

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

EDUCATION

Essential:  

Degree in public health, epidemiology, social sciences, health information management or a related field

Desirable: Master’s degree

EXPERIENCE

Essential:

• • Understanding of the health identification issues in developing countries and/or internationally
• • Previous experience with WPRO highly desired.
• • Strong track record of technically editing high-level documents and research on identification and health services delivery

Desirable:

Previous experience with similar work on health identification products highly desired

TECHNICAL SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE

• • Proven scientific writing experience, including peer-reviewed publications
• • Analytical rigor and attention to detail

LANGUAGES

English

COMPETENCIES

The contractor should have demonstrated experience in working from distance

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The first instalment of payment (50%) will be made after receiving the draft ID briefing to review.

The second instalment (50%) will be made in full based upon satisfactory completion of final product.

APPLICATIONS

Qualified and interested specialists should submit their CV {for individual contractors} or Company Profile {for institutional applications} and Expression of Interest {cover letter} to the Supply Officer through WP RO UNGM at < wproungm@who.int > by 26 August 2020. 

The cover letter should outline how their experience and qualifications make them a suitable candidate for this position and should include their proposed daily consultancy fee and total cost estimate and availability.

Please use Tender Notice No. 112428 as subject to all submission. Only successful candidates will be contacted.