Key informant perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for using routine health data for decision-making in Senegal

Alioune Gueye,Ibrahima Gaye,Pierre Muhoza,Andrea Ruff,Roger Tine,Abdoulaye Diaw,Almamy Malick Kante,Adama Faye,Haneefa Saleem,Melissa A Marx

doi:10.1186/s12913-021-06610-1

Abstract

BackgroundIncreasing the performance of routine health information systems (RHIS) is an important policy priority both globally and in Senegal. As RHIS data become increasingly important in driving decision-making in Senegal, it is imperative to understand the factors that determine their use.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 high- and mid-level key informants active in the malaria, tuberculosis and HIV programmatic areas in Senegal. Key informants were employed in the relevant divisions of the Senegal Ministry of Health or nongovernmental / civil society organizations. We asked respondents questions related to the flow, quality and use of RHIS data in their organizations. A framework approach was used to analyze the qualitative data.ResultsAlthough the respondents worked at the strategic levels of their respective organizations, they consistently indicated that data quality and data use issues began at the operational level of the health system before the data made its way to the central level. We classify the main identified barriers and facilitators to the use of routine data into six categories and attempt to describe their interrelated nature. We find that data quality is a central and direct determinant of RHIS data use. We report that a number of upstream factors in the Senegal context interact to influence the quality of routine data produced. We identify the sociopolitical, financial and system design determinants of RHIS data collection, dissemination and use. We also discuss the organizational and infrastructural factors that influence the use of RHIS data.ConclusionsWe recommend specific prescriptive actions with potential to improve RHIS performance in Senegal, the quality of the data produced and their use. These actions include addressing sociopolitical factors that often interrupt RHIS functioning in Senegal, supporting and motivating staff that maintain RHIS data systems as well as ensuring RHIS data completeness and representativeness. We argue for improved coordination between the various stakeholders in order to streamline RHIS data processes and improve transparency. Finally, we recommend the promotion of a sustained culture of data quality assessment and use.

Highlights

Increasing the performance of routine health information systems (RHIS) is an important policy priority both globally and in Senegal
Previous studies that have sought to address the issue of data use in Senegal either did not focus on RHIS data or emphasize country-specific issues sufficiently [15], limited themselves to issues specific to family planning and reproductive health [16] or focused on health system governance issues related to data production [17]
Findings from the few studies that have attempted to evaluate the quality of RHIS data or the feasibility of using RHIS data for decisionmaking have shown that RHIS data quality in Senegal is highly variable across levels of the health system, across disease programs and across indicators even within a single program [18,19,20]

Summary

Introduction

Increasing the performance of routine health information systems (RHIS) is an important policy priority both globally and in Senegal. Previous studies that have sought to address the issue of data use in Senegal either did not focus on RHIS data or emphasize country-specific issues sufficiently [15], limited themselves to issues specific to family planning and reproductive health [16] or focused on health system governance issues related to data production [17] Results from these studies suggest that common data use challenges in Senegal include limited access of relevant data to the appropriate user due to poor data sharing practices or insufficient digitization of data, as well as barriers related to communication technologies for storing and sharing data. Inaccurate or incomplete records and delays in facility reporting have been documented as challenges that may influence the quality and use of RHIS data in Senegal [18, 20]

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