IntroductionReliable health information is essential for decision making in the healthcare system. Information management in Kenya was considered the weakest area under the Health Information System pillar mainly due to inadequate health workers capacity. The study therefore aimed at assessing health workers skills and current training needs for information management in the selected healthcare facilities.MethodsCross-section research design was adopted and both purposive sampling technique and censuses were used to establish the study participants. Analysis was done using SPSS version 20 and results were presented in tables, charts and graphs.ResultsIt was established that capacity building was usually undertaken through on-job trainings i.e. 85.1% (103) health workers had on-job training on filling of data collection tools and only 10% (13) had received formal classroom training on the same. Further, only 9.1% (11) health workers had received information management training while 90.9% (110) had not received such training. Health workers demonstrated below average skills on information management i.e. only 17.4% (21) could check for data accuracy, only 16.5% (20) could compute trends from bar charts and only 16.5% (20) could transform the data they collected into meaningful information for use.ConclusionThe researcher recommended that healthcare facilities management teams develop a competency based framework for defining the desired skill mix for information management and have a yearly Training Needs Assessment for assessing training needs for information management among the health workers.

Purpose: This was a study based on Health Information Systems pillar. The study sought to explore factors related to quality data which influence health information utilization in making decision among healthcare managers in Mombasa County.Methodology: This was a Descriptive Survey Study design where desired data was obtained from selected respondents by semi-structured questionnaires. The research targeted a total of 303 healthcare managers in Mombasa County which comprised of 21 County Health Management Team (CHMT) members, 56 Sub-county Health Management Team (SCHMT) members from the four sub-counties, 43 facility In-Charges from the 43 public health facilities and 183 Heads of Departments (HODs). A sample size of 91 healthcare managers was used in the study. This was 30% of the target population and were randomly selected. A response rate of 98.9% was achieved. Descriptive and Inferential analysis was done. Data was analyzed with SPSS version 23.Findings: Results revealed that quality data factors (β4 = 0.298; t = 4.079; p < 0.01) were significant predictors of health information utilization in making decision among healthcare managers in Mombasa County. These results imply that improvement in these variables (data accuracy, completeness and timeliness) will enhance health information utilization. How these variables are accomplished influence the level of health information utilization in making decision.Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: When the study recommendations are implemented, there will be assured quality data which will assist in coming up with the design of disease prevention, interventions and to monitor and evaluate the progress made on the measures put in place. By doing so, the study will have validated the theory of Evidence Based Health Information System by Carbone, (2009), on which the study was anchored. Quality data is, therefore, not only crucial in securing health status description, service coverage, and performance, but also inspires confidence in the HIS among healthcare managers. The study recommends that the MOH introduces HMIS as a subject in the pre-service curriculum of all healthcare cadres in order to improve HIS. Mombasa County Government should ensure that quality data is generated (with regards to accuracy, completeness and timeliness) at all levels of the health systems for purposes of accountability and more importantly its utility to improve healthcare programs, to survive and prosper in the current dynamic healthcare environment

Background: The vital use of data and information for successful policy-making, planning, monitoring of operations, and decision-making is essential to the administration of today’s health systems. Vital health choices typically rely on political expediency, donor pressure, and rarely replicated countrywide studies that are insensitive to changes unfolding over shorter timescales because data utilization has been constrained and is inadequate.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional research study was conducted where quantitative technique was used for a minimum of 216 respondents. The results were presented in form of tables and charts.Results: The results show that access to routine data (p=0.0001), having a working computer (p=0.023), having access to the internet (p=0.030), having a high level of education (p=0.025), the gender of the health worker (p=0.010), the cadre (p=0.001), participating in data discussion forums (p=0.013), receiving training on data use (p=0.036), collecting data (p=0.041), analysing data (p=0.032), and data management (p=0.007) were substantially correlated with the use of health information data.Conclusions: The level of education, gender of the health worker, cadre, involvement in data discussion forums, training on data utilization, data collection, data analysis, data management, overall levels of competency, access to routine data, access to functional computer and access to internet significantly influenced the utilization of health information data.

Purpose: To determine the influence of staffs’ knowledge on preparedness of catholic mission hospitals for health service delivery during emergency inflow of patients in Nairobi County, Kenya. Methodology: A cross sectional descriptive study design was used with quantitative approach for data collection and analysis. Four tier-3 Catholic Mission Hospitals were purposively selected and a stratified random sample of 647 members of staff from different cadres was taken. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Data was analyzed using STATA software v.16, where descriptive statistics were presented using frequencies and percentages whereas inferential statistics were presented using correlation and regression analysis. Findings: The study found out that staff training and exercises for knowledge and skills influenced preparedness of Catholic Mission Hospitals for health service delivery during emergency influx of patients. A positive and significant relationship was found at (r=0.211; p<0.01). This means that the hospitals are perceived as prepared for health service delivery during emergency influx of patients. However, staff drills (staff exercises) at (r = -0.147; p<0.05) were found insignificantly influencing services delivery. This means that the hospitals would be unprepared even if staff drills were in place. Recommendations: The study recommends that the managers of catholic hospitals should have scheduled staff trainings and drills for efficient and timely response in times of need for emergency service deliver. Policy guidelines on skills acquisition for the staff in the health institutions need to be developed to guide the trainings and frequent drills to sharpen the theory and practice of the healthcare team.

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