Implementing electronic data capture at a well-established health and demographic surveillance site in rural northern Malawi

Abstract

This article aims to assess multiple issues of resources, staffing, local opinion, data quality, cost, and security while transitioning to electronic data collection (EDC) at a long-running community research site in northern Malawi. Levels of missing and error fields, delay from data collection to availability, and average number of interviews per day were compared between EDC and paper in a complex, repeated annual household survey. Three focus groups with field and data staff with experience using both methods, and in-depth interviews with participants were carried out. Cost for each method were estimated and compared. Missing data was more common on paper questionnaires than on EDC, and a similar number were carried out per day. Fieldworkers generally preferred EDC, but data staff feared for their employment. Most respondents had no strong preference for a method. The cost of the paper system was estimated to be higher than using EDC. The existing infrastructure and technical expertise could be adapted to using EDC, but changes have an impact on data processing jobs as fewer, and better qualified staff are required. EDC is cost-effective, and, for a long-running site, may offer further savings, as devices can be used in multiple studies and perform several other functions. EDC is accepted by fieldworkers and respondents, has good levels of quality and timeliness, and security can be maintained. EDC is well-suited for use in a well-established research site using and developing existing infrastructure and expertise.

Electronic data capture for large scale typhoid surveillance, household contact tracing, and health utilisation survey: Strategic Typhoid Alliance across Africa and Asia

“…Unlike the EDC and paper-based methods used in a similarly setting 29 , our EDC synchronized study data updates at least every 12 hours post-data collection in order to provide recent data accessibility for decision making; Rapid accessibility to recent data has enabled immediate quality checks and data cleaning on critical variables which, at the time of the study, are beyond ODK’s built-in validations. It also enabled us to quickly understand and decide on ways to improve participant uptake rates, adding to a growing body of literature reporting how rapid data updates by an EDC enable swift decisions 9 , 30 , 31 .…”

“…Costs estimates on the data capture systems across low- and middle-income settings account for different item inclusions 7 , 29 , 35 , 36 . However, generally, our total variable cost of the EDC was minimal relative to most EDCs or paper-based data collection methods conducted in similar settings.…”

Electronic data capture for large scale typhoid surveillance, household contact tracing, and health utilisation survey: Strategic Typhoid Alliance across Africa and Asia

“…Robustness in the design is likely to depend on the limitations of software and hardware, and technical know-how of developers. Unlike the EDC and paper-based methods used in a similarly setting [28], our EDC synchronized study data updates at least every 12 hours post-data collection in order to provide recent data accessibility for decision making; Rapid accessibility to recent data has enabled immediate quality checks and data cleaning on critical variables which, at the time of the study, are beyond ODK's built-in validations. It also enabled us to quickly understand and decide on ways to improve participant uptake rates, adding to a growing body of literature reporting how rapid data updates by an EDC enables swift decisions [9,29,30].…”

Health Risk in Urbanizing Regions: Examining the Nexus of Infrastructure, Hygiene and Health in Tashkent Province, Uzbekistan

“…Participant confidentiality was maintained with the use of password-protected tablets and encrypted databases. Since its introduction, ODK has been widely used for electronic data capture in resource-limited settings such as Malawi, Kenya, and Nepal among many others [ 27 , 28 , 29 ].…”