Ten years to VISION 2020: why information matters.

Why do we collect information in our eye care programmes? One important reason is that we use information to enhance our knowledge and then apply that knowledge to improve what we do. Information is the first step in a process of learning and improvement that enables us to make better decisions, improve the systems and places we work in, and enhance the quality of our own individual work. Information can help us improve; the trick is that we only collect the information we really need. We should neither overburden ourselves with more information than we can use, nor should we overload our colleagues with unnecessary requests for information when they should rather be delivering eye care to patients. We need the buy-in and cooperation of our colleagues if we want to collect accurate information; this means that everyone has to be motivated to make it work. Some time ago, when designing a reporting format for VISION 2020 programmes, a wise colleague advised me that, unless the person who was collecting information could see the benefit to them of doing this, it was just a waste of everyone’s time. So why do we all need to invest some of our precious time in collecting and providing good information? What are the benefits to you?