Clear objectives:

whether it is paper-based or electronic, the system objectives have to be clear before the data is collected. Information systems may only be designed for the purposes of following administrative procedures (e.g. doctor�s accounts or patients mailing addresses) or for routine documentation (e.g. laboratory test results) or for monitoring of patterns of disease within a service or geographic area, or for research purposes (e.g. evaluating impact of health interventions).

A good system is also minimalist, containing the essential data items to meet the objectives.

Data items should ideally follow a know standard (regional, national or service-specific) to ensure quality and meaningful interpretations and enable comparisons.