Abstract
Data generated through routine health information systems (HIS) has strategic, technical, and operational value, serving to provide the information required to translate policy intention and national priorities into health service delivery, positive health outcomes and user experience. Including the private healthcare sector within routine HIS is therefore important, particularly in contexts where private healthcare entities deliver a large proportion of health services. However, even where data and information are available from the private healthcare sector, these may not be used to govern or build understanding with component entities. This brief explores constraints to data capture and management within health systems and its use for decision making with specific focus on the governance of the contribution of the private sector in health to public health outcomes.

Key messages

• Barriers to the capture and management of data span both public and private sectors and different levels of the health system.
• More emphasis has been directed towards data collection and management (governance of data) in LMICs and less on how data are assimilated into practice (data for governance).
• Where data for governance is addressed in the literature, this has tended to focus on sub-national data use, and less on the inclusion of private healthcare entities.
• Policy response and related tools have tended to focus on technological solutions, and less on the organizational and behavioural determinants of data-informed decision making.