Sistema informativo screening: la genesi della conoscenza come elemento di sistema

The paper describes the main characteristics of the Information System (SIS) of the cancer (breast, colorectal, cervical) screening programs (SP) in Italy. The SIS is organized in order to evaluate the quality and the effectiveness of the SP and is referred to different stakeholders and actors (national & local government, professionals, society) that can actually express different knowledge priorities. Different variables have been identified and annually collected by national surveys. The sources of data are the managing systems of the screening programs. The SIS produces several indicators, according to those identified by the European Guide Lines on quality assurance, which respond to the following evaluation and monitoring needs: - the SPis a path (disease management), not just performing a test; therefore we need to assess the quality of the whole path, and not only of the screening test performance; - the SPis directed to an asymptomatic population, hence it must take in account both the sensitivity and specificity - to evaluate the quality of the organization. The results of the evaluation are reported and/or summarized by different reporting system/tools in order to be used at different levels: service delivery, regional and national planning, governance assessment, generation of scientific evidence, accountability’s purposes.

Keywords: Information system, cancer screening, evaluation, national prevention plan.

Antonio Federici, Marco Zappa, Sistema informativo screening: la genesi della conoscenza come elemento di sistema in "RIV Rassegna Italiana di Valutazione" 50/2011, pp 55-72, DOI: 10.3280/RIV2011-050005