The utility of health care registries in Health Technology Assessment and Health Services Research is determined by the research question formulated and by the characteristics of the database. Health care registries have been used in studies of variations in the use of health care services, equity in the access to health care services, diffusion and appropriateness of the use of health care technologies, quality assessment, studies concerned with the effectiveness of health care technologies, and other types of studies.
The results show Spanish health information systems are lagging and less developed than other Western countries. Comparing the experience gained with the registries by other countries, for example The Population-based Health Information System of Manitoba (Canada), the importance of developing and promoting health care registries in Spain is evident. We recommend the reinforcement of programmes to develop and coordinate Health Information Systems in Spain, as well as the use and dissemination of already established health care registries.