5.1.3. Data elements and classification tables

GeoPrism Registry focuses on all the information that allows to contextualize any piece of information in both space and time. It therefore only handles data elements meant to:

1. Uniquely identify,

2. Classify,

3. Locate, and

4. When applicable, contact

each geographic object it contains (the set of data elements referred to as the signature domain; see Health Facility Technical Working Group (2007)). Such a list will be specific to each type of geographic object hosted in the platform.

Other types of data elements, including programmatic ones (e.g., statistics), are not meant to be managed in GeoPrism Registry but in program-, or even sector-, specific information systems. Some of the reasons behind this are the sensitivities often linked to programmatic data, the difference in data flow between this type of data and the geographic objects they are attached to, as well as the difference in the management of the time dimension (e.g., the temporal validity of a statistic might be different from the temporal validity of the geographic object it is attached to). In addition, managing these data elements in these other systems allows the programs to benefit from functionalities that are not available within a registry, including, but not limited to, data collection, statistical analysis, or visualization (graphs, thematic maps).

The identification of the data elements to be associated with each geographic object and stored in GeoPrism Registry should take place as part of a process involving all concerned stakeholders. The result is a data dictionary containing at least the following information for each of the selected data elements (an example for a health facility master list is presented in Annex 2 of Ebener (2022)):

• The data element code as implemented in GeoPrism Registry

• A short description of the data element

• The data element type

• The size of the data element (number of storage units)

• Whether the data element is considered as mandatory when adding a new record in the master list

Examples, notes, and, when applicable, the source (reference) of each data element can be added to the above information if it can help those in charge of managing GeoPrism Registry content and its users to have a clear understanding of each of these data elements. A classification table also needs to be defined for each of the data elements where the values are limited to a few options to ensure consistency across records, for example, type, ownership, etc. Such tables should at least contain the following for each option: a unique code, a label (English and local language) and/or acronym, a description (English and local language), and, when applicable, the source of the definition. The following table provides an example of a classification table for health facility types in Cambodia following this structure:

Health facility type code	Acronym	Health facility type in English	Health facility type in Khmer	Definition	Source of the definition
6	NH	National Hospital		Health facility used to train health personnel and undertake research studies, in addition to providing specialized referral services.	Modified from Ministry of Health, Cambodia (1998): Guide for developing operational districts
5	PH	Provincial Hospital		Health facility under the administration and technical supervision of the Provincial Health Department. In the Health Coverage Plan, Provincial Hospitals function as Operational District Referral Hospitals and will also provide the Complimentary Package of Activities (CPA).	Modified from Ministry of Health, Cambodia (1998): Guide for developing operational districts
4	RH	Referral Hospital		Health facility providing the CPA.	Modified from Ministry of Health, Cambodia (1998): Guide for developing operational districts
3	HC/B	Health Center with Beds		Health facility delivering primary healthcare through the Minimum Package of Activities (MPA) and having beds for patients.	Modified from Ministry of Health, Cambodia (1998): Guide for developing operational districts
2	HC	Health Center		Health facility delivering primary healthcare through the MPA.	Modified from Ministry of Health, Cambodia (1998): Guide for developing operational districts
1	HP	Health Post		Health posts are located in remote areas and function as the lowest level within the district health system, and are thus the first point of contact with the population in low density provinces.	Modified from Ministry of Health, Cambodia (1998): Guide for developing operational districts