Qualidade da informação: a importância do dado primário, o princípio de tudo

Abstract: Information is a primary resource for decision-making, and it is with it that you may get closer to reality, trace its profile, detect problems and act in favor of a solution. There is no doubt about the importance of information to support health policies. However, access to information, at the appropriate time and to the right person is a big challenge. The quality of information must be provided early in the process, during the primary data search. In this sense, the objective of this work is to demonstrate the importance of data gathering instruments and its adequate registration. In addition, we seek to illuminate the importance of a discussion related to health information policies which incorporates standardization as a basic instrument for communication. Two studies explicit this issue. The first was developed in 2003 in the Centros de Informação e Assistência Toxicológica and the information about intoxication and poisonings produced by their Customer Service and Notification Forms; the second was held in 2011, with the Secretaria de Estado de Saúde e Defesa Civil of Rio de Janeiro and its databases regarding crotalic accidents. This were built based on individual files of Venomous Animals Research, dated 2001 and 2006. The analysis demonstrated the fragility and low quality of the primary data in these two studies. At first, the lack of understanding and standardization led to different classifications for the same case. In the second study, despite the standardization for the clinical data, the interpretation was individual. Thus, it becomes imperative to adopt public policies which are aimed for creating systems which can perceive and capture the particularities and the peculiarities of each local practice and translate them into a larger global language, for only this standardization will be able to promote an inclusive communication.