Use of routine health information for decision making among health care workers in Marsabit county, Kenya

Authors

  • Mohamed Asafa Aila Department of The Health Management System and Informatics Kenyatta University, School of Public Health, Nairobi, Kenya
  • Peter Kithuka Department of The Health Management System and Informatics Kenyatta University, School of Public Health, Nairobi, Kenya

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20213768

Keywords:

Routine health information, Health Management Information System, Decision Making in Health System, Marsabit County Health facilities

Abstract

Background: In Kenya today, public health facilities at different levels collect a large amount of routine health (RH) data. However, with the introduction of district health information software (DHIS2), recent evidence has shown low levels of data are used by the targeted stakeholders in Kenya. Therefore, study aims to examine the association of human resource and information technology factors associated with the frequent use of RH data in decision-making among health-workers in Marsabit county.

Methods: The study employed a cross-sectional design. Researchers purposively stratified 201 health workers by cadre, then probability proportionate sampling was applied to get the required number from every cadre. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and entered into the SPSS software, descriptive measurement and Chi square test were used to analyze the data.

Results: The majority (74%) of respondents had basic computer skills but 80% of respondent lacked training in health information management. The study found that training increases the likelihoods of healthcare workers utilizing RH data. The type of software (DHIS2 and MedBoss) in use had a significant association with the frequent use of RH data at a p (0.028<0.05).

Conclusions: The study revealed that the health facilities lacked ample IT accessories even though internet and electricity connectivity was not limited, however, RHI use was not optimal in health facilities. The study found that the majority of respondents lacked training in RH data implying that training may influence the overall use of the routine data. The study also observed that RH data were used for decision-making frequently for a range of management functions.

References

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Published

2021-09-27

How to Cite

Aila, M. A., & Kithuka, P. (2021). Use of routine health information for decision making among health care workers in Marsabit county, Kenya. International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 8(10), 4726–4733. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20213768

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Section

Original Research Articles