Data Utilisation and Factors Influencing the Performance of the Health Management Information System in Tanzania

Abstract

Background: Health Management Information System (HMIS) is a set of data regularly collected at health care facilities, aimed to meet the needs of statistics on health services. This study aimed to determine the utilisation of HMIS data and factors influencing the performance of health system at the district and primary health care facility levels in Tanzania. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in 11 districts and involved 115 health care facilities in Tanzania. Data were collected using a standard questionnaire and an observational checklist. The collected data was cleaned, summarized into proportions and graphical presentation using STATA version 13 software. Results: This study involved 115 health facilities in 11 districts. A total of 93 health facility workers and 13 district officials were interviewed. About two-thirds (60%) of the facility respondents reported to use the HMIS data they collect. Data were mainly used for comparing performance in terms of services coverage (53%), monitoring of disease trends over time (50%), and providing evidence for community health education and promotion programme (55%). The majority (41.4%) of the facility’s personnel had not received any training on data management related to HMIS in the past 12 months. Only five out of 13 district respondents reported to routinely analyse HMIS data. Patient load was described to frequently affect staff performance on data collection and management. Less than half (42%) of the health facilities (HFs) had received supervisory visits from the district office. Nine district respondents reported to systematically receive feedback on the quality of their reports on monthly and quarterly bases from higher authorities. More than half (n=7) of district respondents reported that those responsible for HMIS activities are also responsible for other equally important activities. Conclusion: Poor data utilisation was common in most of the districts and health facilities in Tanzania. Inadequate human and financial resources, inadequate training, lack of supervision, and lack of standard operating procedures were the major challenges affecting the HMIS performance in Tanzania.

Achieving optimal heath data impact in rural African healthcare settings: measures to barriers in Bukomansimbi District, Central Uganda

“…This further asserts that that optimal HMIS/EMRS data management and utilization is mostly negated by systemic factors instead of personal factors [1,3,5,23].…”

Health Workers' Use of Routine Health Information and Related Factors at Public Health Institutions in Illubabor Zone, Western Ethiopia

“…This is better than studies done in the East Gojam zone, Northern Ethiopia (45.8%)(24) Diredawa, Eastern Ethiopia (53.1%) (25), Addis Ababa (37.3%)(18), Western Amhara (38.4%) (26), Oromia special zone (52.8%) (27), hospitals of Oromia regional state (56%)(28), and Southwest Ethiopia (57.3%) (29). The nding was also better than a study conducted in selected districts of Amhara region (46%) (30), estimated pooled prevalence of information use at the national level (57.4%) (17), a study conducted in Tanzania (31) and another study conducted in Kenya among health care providers (34%) (32) . The current study's nding, on the other hand, was lower than that of a study conducted in North Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia (78.5%) (19), and the North Shewa zone of the Oromia region (71.6%) (33).…”

The use of data for planning and service improvement in Tanzanian Primary healthcare facilities: Experience from Star Rating Assessment

“…In a study which was conducted in 12 health facilities in three Tanzanian regions (Arusha, Lindi, and Geita) to assess the capacity of health workers to analyze and use data for family planning services, they found that: health workers have inadequate skills for data analysis and computer use; the facilities have a weak culture of data analysis and use; lower-level health facilities, lacked internet access, hence affecting their access to DHIS2; and lack of data ownership among health workers thinking in which they believed that data generated at health facilities belong to the Council Health Management Team (CHMT) and not the facilities; and lack of training on collecting, analyzing, presenting, and using data [17]. Also, in a study conducted in 11 districts involving 115 health facilities in Tanzania, it was found that poor data use was common in most of the districts, due to inadequate data management skills, few facilities receiving supervision visits and feedback from CHMT, and lack of training [18].…”