HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEM AS CORRELATE OF MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SERVICES IN IFE CENTRAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, ILE-IFE, OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examines “The relevance of Health Information System in Monitoring and Evaluation of Health Care Delivery Services Ife Central Local Government, Ile-Ife. The research design used in this study was descriptive survey to provide necessary database on the relevance of Health Information System in the monitoring and evaluation of health care delivery services in Local Government Primary Health Care System, the researcher uses Ife Central Local Government, Ile-Ife, Osun State. The target population consists of one hundred and twenty (120) respondents (Staff of Primary Health Care Department of Ife Central Local Government, Ile-Ife). Sampling technique adopted for this study is total enumeration, all the staffs of Health Information Management Department were used for the research because the researcher considers these respondents as a genuine unit where all important and detailed information could be obtained for this research work. In the course of data collection exercise, a total of one hundred and twenty questionnaires were administered. The questionnaires were administered at the various units of the Primary Health Care Department of Ife Central Local Government and one hundred and fourteen questionnaires were completed and returned questionnaire which denotes the response rate to be 95% which proved that there is sufficient information from the respondents. From the findings of the study, it was discovered that health information system is effective due to the opinion of majority of the respondents which denotes that health information system contributes to good service delivery in Primary Health Care settings. It was affirmed that there are factors hindering effective management of health information system by the respondents which was supported by 75.5% of them in their response to question 24 of the questionnaire. HIS has benefits on health care monitoring and evaluation which denotes it can be used in policy and decision making. It was also proved according to responses to question 21 of the questionnaire that the duties of the health information officers cannot be overruled and that they play their roles as expected for generation and utilization of health information. It was observed too that health information is being put into use regularly for monitoring and evaluation of health care service by the respondents in question number 20 of the questionnaire. This study reveals that Health Information System has great impact on healthcare service delivery, the system captures, transmits and stores information related to patient care and the activities of the health institution. It incorporates routine information system, disease surveillance system, laboratory information system, hospital patient administrative system which is used to process reports and create awareness in order to make policy action programmes effective for quality monitoring and evaluation activities and the recommendations that were made includes: The provision of sufficient and well trained staff, training and seminar, caution against paucity in information gathering, adequate funding, setting up supervisory committee and computerization of various sections.