DHIS2 supports individual-level (or case-based) transactional data through Tracker and Event programs, enabling data collection, case monitoring and follow-up, analysis and reporting—all within an integrated DHIS2 system.
DHIS2 was originally designed in the 1990s as a tool for collecting and analyzing aggregated health data—such as tallies or counts of services provided or cases reported per week or month. While this information is very useful for statistical analysis of health trends and informing programmatic decision making, it is not granular enough to do more detailed analysis, and does not allow for tracking and monitoring individuals (such as a single patient) over time. To fill this gap, DHIS2 was expanded to support individual-level data through Event and Tracker programs.
Event programs collect data on individual events that occur at any point in time (not on a fixed reporting period) and are not tracked longitudinally. Common use cases include one-off screenings or surveys, anonymous disease case reporting (such as in event-based surveillance), and facility needs assessments.
Tracker programs also collect individual-level data, but unlike Event programs, they associate records with a unique entity — such as a person — that can be followed over time. For example, a Tracker program can monitor a child’s immunization schedule by recording each vaccination visit details. In the health context, Tracker supports electronic registries for specific programs, and can even be used as a lightweight Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system for primary healthcare. Beyond health, Tracker programs can be used in the Education sector to monitor students and teachers, or to track medical commodities and cold chain equipment in the Logistics sector, or for a variety of other use cases across sectors.
Event and Tracker programs are built on the same core technology of DHIS2. Data can be collected through a web browser using the DHIS2 Capture app, one of DHIS2’s core web applications, or on mobile devices with the DHIS2 Android Capture app, using the same framework for rapid customization to meet a wide range of use cases.
Event and Tracker data can be aggregated within DHIS2 to support national and international reporting requirements while taking full advantage of the built-in DHIS2 tools for analytics and visualizations, such as tables, charts, maps, and dashboards. The Capture app also supports enhanced patient-centered workflows at the facility or community level, such as SMS reminders and appointment schedules, and can be integrated with other systems through interoperability standards like FHIR.
This page provides an overview of some of the key features for Event and Tracker programs. To learn how these capabilities are being used worldwide to make an impact on programs in the health sector and beyond, visit our Tracker In Action page.
Capture data at the source: Tracker programs allow you to define the individual entity you want to track using configurable attributes — including images — and guide data collection with configurable program rules such as skip logic, constraints, decision support, among others. Integrated search helps prevent duplicate registrations, while records can be captured as longitudinal Tracker records or as standalone Events.
Faster and more complete data: Collecting data using Tracker and Events at the lower levels, closer to the individual/patient level, reduces data entry bottlenecks, minimizes potential aggregation errors, and allows for more granular disaggregation.
Fully adaptable and customizable: Build a Tracker or Event program from scratch using a configurable interface that requires no programming. Decide what data to collect at each stage, and define your own case-based programs to simplify data entry forms, in health or other sectors.
Downloadable standard configurations: Don’t reinvent the wheel. Developed in collaboration with WHO and other global health partners, the DHIS2 Health Data Toolkit help countries implement case-based health programs — including HIV, TB, malaria, immunization, disease surveillance, maternal and child health, and more — in alignment with global standards, while remaining fully customizable to meet national demands.
Data entry anywhere: The DHIS2 Android Capture app fully supports Tracker programs on mobile devices, including relationships, indicators, program rules and notes. Data can be collected online and offline, in a user-friendly interface, with automatic synchronization when connectivity is restored.
Reduce duplicate records: Before adding a new tracked entity, the app automatically conducts an integrated search, in both online and offline modes, for existing matches to prevent duplicate registrations.
View cases on a map: Using the DHIS2 Maps app, one of DHIS2’s built-in analytics tools, allows you to view cases by Tracker program in a geographical area, making it easier to monitor trends and targets, such as disease outbreaks or immunization activities. Users can zoom from national to individual level and use contact-tracing analytics to visualize connections.
GPS coordinates and polygons: DHIS2 allows users to capture not only GPS coordinates but also polygons by drawing directly on the map. This makes it possible to define specific geographical areas related to a given program or intervention, such as focus areas for disease elimination programs.
Eliminate duplicate data entry: individual level data collected through Tracker and Event programs can be automatically aggregated based on pre-defined parameters. This allows programs to fulfill weekly, monthly, and other routine reporting requirements without entering the same data twice.
Visualize and analyze data: Aggregated Tracker and Event data can be easily viewed and analyzed using DHIS2 built-in analytics tools such as dashboards, tables, charts, graphs, and maps. Data can also be exported to an external analytics platform or dashboard.
Easy appointment scheduling: Create longitudinal programs with multiple stages that correspond to patient visits and follow ups within the Capture app. These stages can follow a defined order or include repeatable visits until a given outcome is reached.
Better patient care: Tracker supports appointment scheduling, ​tracking of missed appointments, and automated SMS messages for reminders, notification of test results, and other program communications, helping improve patient engagement, retention, and continuity of care.
Enhanced data capture and enrollment dashboards: Extend the functionality of the Capture App by adding custom plug-ins. These allow you to easily connect to external applications, for example integrating ICD-11 coding directly into a data entry, or adding visualizations to an enrollment dashboard, such as a growth chart.
Create a fully customized user experience: Customize the data entry workflow or look and feel of Tracker or Event programs in DHIS2 by leveraging our extensibility tools and resources to develop custom applications that work seamlessly within DHIS2, providing full control over the user experience.
Control system and data access: DHIS2 contains granular sharing settings that allow system administrators to control which organizational levels, groups, and individual users can access or manage data within a Tracker or Event programs.
Full local ownership of data: Each DHIS2 instance is hosted and managed by the implementing organization — such as a national Ministry of Health — which determines how data is stored and governed in accordance with local laws and privacy requirements. Whether hosted locally or in the cloud, no external organization — including DHIS2 software developers — can access data unless permission has been granted.
National-level platform: Tracker and Event programs are currently in use in more than 75 countries to support national-level health programs for malaria, TB, and HIV, disease surveillance, maternal and child health, and many other use cases. Taken together, these implementations manage hundreds of millions of individual data records worldwide.
Rapidly deployable and expandable: Countries and organizations already using DHIS2 for aggregate data can rapidly extend their systems with Tracker and Event programs without needing an additional software platform. For those new to DHIS2, Tracker and Event programs can be easily deployed as in a standalone DHIS2 system.
Open Source and community driven: DHIS2 is fully open-source, with source code available on Github and development planned and tracked through a public roadmap. Our international community of administrators, developers, and implementers contributes to the development process by sharing bug reports and feature requests, and the local groups in the HISP network help ensure that the software remains responsive to emerging and evolving needs for public sector users in low- and middle-income countries.
Localizable across languages: The DHIS2 interface is available in multiple languages, with additional languages contributed through the open translation portal. National teams and individual users can also complete new translations metadata for their own Tracker and Event programs, or request support from the DHIS2 community.
Build on best practices: The DHIS2 Tracker team provides comprehensive guidance for deploying Tracker programs as part of a DHIS2 implementation, including best practices and lessons learned from real-world use cases. Read the Tracker Implementation Guide or browse the full DHIS2 documentation site.
Learn from a global community: A global network of DHIS2 users, developers, implementers and experts take part in the development and deployment of Tracker and Event programs and related DHIS2 features by sharing technical knowledge, answering questions, exchanging user stories and implementation experiences, and providing valuable feedback to help shape future developments through the DHIS2 Community of Practice.
Proper planning, configuration and use of Event and Tracker programs are essential for effective management of case-based programs using DHIS2. Build your skills in the DHIS2 Online Academy with free, self-paced training courses covering the fundamentals of Event programs, including:
For Tracker programs, in-person regional DHIS2 Academy training courses are offered periodically by the HISP network. Online courses on Tracker programs are under development.
