Assessing Immunization Data Quality in Sunyani West Municipality to inform Sound Healthcare Decision-making

Abstract

Objective Data quality is critical in ensuring sound healthcare decision making and service delivery. Data quality provided at all levels of health care enhances accurate and timely information for effective and efficient health service delivery decision making. The study sought to assess the Sunyani West Municipality’s Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) data quality on measles vaccinations. Method The study adopted a descriptive cross sectional design. It involved a structured observation of data from EPI tally books from five sub-municipal facilities to inform healthcare decision making. WHO Immunization Data Quality Self-Assessment Tool (DQS) was adopted to assess data quality. The DQS captured period was from January to December, 2018. Field data was entered into the DQS Toolbox to generate accuracy ratio (%) and discrepancy rate (%) figures. Results When capturing data into the tally books at the facility level, there were over ninety reported data, whereas data reported to the Municipal Health Information Management System (DHIMS2) was one hundred and fifty-one (151) under-reported data. Furthermore, data gathered from all the sub-municipal facilities showed that data accuracy ratio from the point of immunization to the facility was 97% and discrepancy rate of 3%. However, when reported to the Municipality, the accuracy ratio was found to be 105% with a discrepancy ratio of 5%. Conclusion Immunization data quality was generally good, however, there were insufficient and irregular on-site observation and weekly monitoring by facility heads. It is, therefore, important for Sunyani West Municipal Health Directorate to ensure regular monitoring and assessment of immunization data in sub-Municipalities so that errors encountered in capturing and reporting of data are rectified in order to harness the full potential of immunization data.