Linking health and social data to assess care needs and outcomes: Czech experience

Abstract Background Effective management of health and social care services requires comprehensive and timely data. Czechia has linked its National Health Information System (NHIS) and National Social Information System (NSIS), creating an integrated dataset for evaluation of provided health care and social support. This enhances resource allocation and facilitates monitoring of patient outcomes such as health status, self-sufficiency, and economic activity. To illustrate the potential of this approach, we present findings based on breast cancer patients. Methods The analysis uses population-wide data of women diagnosed with malignant neoplasm of the breast between 2019 and 2023. The integrated dataset includes clinical data, healthcare covered by public health insurance, mortality, social benefits (e.g. care allowance, disability pension), social services, and employment and temporary work incapacity records. This combined data structure allows for multidimensional patient-level analysis across health and social care sectors. Results One year prior to breast cancer diagnosis, 7.5% of women under the age of 60 received a disability pension. Two years post-diagnosis, this rose to 50.4% among survivors, ranging from 41.3% in stage I to 63.5% in stage IV. Economic inactivity was observed in 19.8% of women in this age group one year before diagnosis, rising to 35.7% two years after, with variation from 29.3% in stage I to 63.9% in stage IV. Significant regional differences were observed, particularly in the proportion of women receiving a disability pension. Conclusions Linking health and social data improves the understanding of population health needs and enables better monitoring of care quality, safety, and effectiveness. These insights provide policymakers and healthcare providers with essential tools for evidence-based decision-making and targeted intervention planning. The Czech model offers a scalable approach for integrating health and social care. Key messages • Linking health and social data enables patient-level evaluation of delivered care and support, helping align policies with real patient needs and cross-sector outcomes. • Among women under the age of 60, 7.5% received disability pension one year prior to breast cancer diagnosis, increasing to 50.4% two years post-diagnosis among survivors.