Abstract

Introduction: A key step in constructing any health information management system (HIMS) is to decide on a set of minimal yet comprehensive data items. The consensus dataset would be homogenous between healthcare settings and can pave the way for scientific collaborations. Iran is the fourth endemic country for brucellosis in the world. Despite its huge burden on society, the economy, and the environment, there is no agreed-upon minimum data set (MDS) for reporting this disease, and the data collected are rarely homogenous or directly comparable. Objective: To establish the brucellosis MDS that may enable homogeneity in data collection, data reporting, and data exchange among various HIMSs. Methods: A two-step process, including an extensive literature search and a two-round Delphi survey, was performed to foster consensus about the required data items. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS V22 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). Results: The final MDS platform of our study contained 134 items divided into five main categories of administrative information, epidemiology, diagnosis investigation, complications, and signs and symptoms. Conclusion: This study provided a practical MDS for brucellosis that can help collect unified and comprehensive data for electronic health record systems (EHRs), disease surveillance, and registries, and easily integrate them with other HIMSs. The developed MDS can promote the collaboration of policy-makers, healthcare providers, and researchers to prevent, control, and manage brucellosis. © 2022