BS ISO 21667-2010 PDF

Full title and description

STB BS ISO 21667-2010 — Health informatics — Health indicators conceptual framework. This international standard establishes a high‑level conceptual framework and common vocabulary for health indicators used to describe population health and health system performance; it is intended to be sufficiently broad to accommodate diverse health care systems while remaining comprehensive in the factors related to outcomes and system performance.

Abstract

ISO 21667:2010 defines the conceptual structure (dimensions and sub‑dimensions) required to describe the health of populations and the performance and utilization of health care systems. It promotes common terminology and conceptual definitions but does not prescribe individual indicators, specific data elements, benchmarking methodologies, needs/demand analysis or operational data‑collection procedures.

General information

• Status: Published (International Standard).
• Publication date: December 2010 (ISO publication); adopted as BS ISO 21667:2010 / published via BSI cataloguing in 2011 in British adoption listings.
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO); available also under national adoptions/catalogues (e.g., BS ISO, STB listings by standards resellers).
• ICS / categories: 35.240.80 (Health care technology — IT applications in health care).
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (ISO 21667:2010); replaces/succeeds ISO/TS 21667:2004.
• Number of pages: 20 (ISO published version metadata); other national catalogues sometimes list equivalent document page counts in local formats.

Key bibliographic metadata and lifecycle notes are recorded on the ISO catalogue entry (ISO 21667:2010). The designation "BS ISO 21667:2010" refers to the British adoption of the same ISO text; the label "STB" appears in some national reseller/catalog listings as a local identifier or catalogue reference for the adopted text.

Scope

The standard provides a conceptual framework for health indicators: defining appropriate dimensions and sub‑dimensions (for example health status, non‑medical determinants of health, health system performance, community and system characteristics and equity) that together describe population health and health system performance. It is intentionally high level and descriptive; it does not define individual indicators, specific data elements, benchmarks or detailed measurement procedures.

Key topics and requirements

• Definition of a common health indicators conceptual framework (dimensions and sub‑dimensions) suitable across jurisdictions.
• Common vocabulary and conceptual definitions to support consistent indicator development and interpretation.
• Coverage of factors related to health outcomes, system performance and utilization, including contextual/system characteristics and equity considerations.
• Explicit exclusion of operational details: it does not list specific indicators, data elements, benchmarking approaches or needs/demand analysis.

Typical use and users

Used by health informatics specialists, national and regional health authorities, public‑health statisticians, policy analysts, researchers and standards implementers when creating indicator sets, aligning indicator definitions across systems, designing population health monitoring frameworks, or integrating indicator concepts into health information systems and reporting infrastructures. It serves as a reference framework rather than a measurement protocol.

Related standards

ISO 21667:2010 was prepared by ISO/TC 215 (Health informatics) and replaces the earlier ISO/TS 21667:2004. It is conceptually related to other ISO health‑informatics standards and national adoptions (BS ISO, KS X ISO listings, GOST/R adoptions, etc.) that address data models, terminology, privacy, and information exchange for health data.

Keywords

health informatics; health indicators; conceptual framework; population health; health system performance; metrics; indicators; equity; health information; ISO/TC 215.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 21667:2010 is an international standard that defines a conceptual framework and common vocabulary for health indicators used to describe population health and health system performance.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers high‑level dimensions and sub‑dimensions (for example health status, non‑medical determinants, system performance, contextual characteristics and equity) and fosters consistent terminology and conceptual definitions. It does not define individual indicator specifications, data elements, benchmarks or data‑collection procedures.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Health informatics professionals, public health agencies, statisticians, policy makers, researchers and vendors who design indicator sets, reporting frameworks, or align health information systems with internationally consistent indicator concepts.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ISO 21667:2010 is the published International Standard that superseded ISO/TS 21667:2004. As of the documented ISO catalogue entry for ISO 21667:2010 it is recorded as published/active; users should check national catalogue entries if they need the exact adopted national designation or any subsequent revisions.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is part of the broader body of work maintained by ISO/TC 215 (Health informatics). While not a numbered series in the sense of consecutive parts, it is conceptually linked with other ISO health‑informatics standards (terminology, data models, privacy and interoperability standards) and is commonly published/adopted under national cataloguing prefixes such as BS ISO, KS X ISO or local catalogue identifiers (e.g., STB listings in reseller/catalogue databases).

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Health indicators, conceptual framework, health informatics, population health, health system performance, indicators, metrics, equity.