Coverage of the Hospital and Outpatient Information Form (CIHA) using births recorded in the Information System on Live Births (SINASC), Brazil, 2006-2009

The Brazilian Ministry of Health established mandatory completion of the Hospital and Outpatient Information Form (CIHA) in all the country's health services in order to monitor care funded by sources other than the Unified National Health System (SUS). Considering that data quality is essential, this study analyzed coverage of the CIHA in the States and Federal District, taking data from the Information System on Live Births (SINASC) from 2006 to 2009 as the standard. Coverage of the CIHA was low in nearly all of the States, corresponding to fewer than one-fourth of the births recorded in the SINASC, decreasing from 24.4% in 2006 to 19.7% in 2009. There was a wide variation between the States, with the best results in S?o Paulo (71.9% in 2006; 46.4% in 2009), Rio Grande do Sul (35.8% in 2006; 29.5% in 2009), and Santa Catarina (31.6% in 2006; 37.7% in 2009). The other States showed less than 20% coverage. Mechanisms for data collection and use of the CIHA to support decision-making are important for planning and evaluating healthcare.