Abstract
BackgroundThe District Health Information System was developed in South Africa to collect aggregated routine data from public health facilities. In Amajuba District, KwaZulu-Natal, ward-based data collection has been initiated to facilitate improved responsiveness to community health needs and improve health outcomes and patient satisfaction.AimTo assess the application of the municipal ward-based health data in the decision-making process to improve child health outcomes.SettingThe study was conducted in 25 primary health care service sites in Amajuba.MethodsA cross-sectional mixed methods’ approach was used. The study population comprised operational managers, professional nurses, ward-based outreach team leaders and supervisors. Quantitative data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were collected using focus group discussions and analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsOf the 131 respondents, 83 (67.5%) provided targeted child interventions to a certain or a large extent to improve child health outcomes, but only 74 (57.4%) respondents reported using municipal ward-based health data to a certain or large extent in order to inform their decisions. This discrepancy indicates poor utilisation of local health information for decision-making.ConclusionThe study showed that municipal ward-based health data are not fully utilised for making informed decisions to improve child health outcomes. It is imperative to inculcate a culture of evidence-informed decisions that leads to provision of targeted interventions in order to mitigate the challenge of scarcity of resources and to improve child health outcomes.
Highlights
The District Health Information System (DHIS) was developed to collect routine aggregated data from all public health facilities and is intended to support decentralised decision-making and health service management
In order to be responsive to the needs of the community there is a need for disaggregated data to enable decision-making at a local level
The majority of the participants were professional nurses (PNs) who provide the clinical component for most Primary Health Care (PHC) clinics
Summary
The District Health Information System (DHIS) was developed to collect routine aggregated data from all public health facilities and is intended to support decentralised decision-making and health service management. The health care workers are expected to document the municipal ward of every patient to whom they attend This requires collecting the patient’s data, collating, analysing and converting this information for decision-making in the facility. This study will contribute to health information transformation in the district It will enable timely detection and localisation of emerging health problems. It will strengthen the evidence base for effective health policies and contribute to the improvement in the quality of health services and responsiveness to community needs. In Amajuba District, KwaZulu-Natal, ward-based data collection has been initiated to facilitate improved responsiveness to community health needs and improve health outcomes and patient satisfaction
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