The impact of e-health system implementation on UNWRA health services: an observational study

Abstract

Background The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) provides primary-health-care services to more than 5 million Palestinian refugees in five operational fields (Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, West Bank, and Gaza) through 144 health centres. UNRWA developed its electronic health records (e-Health) system to improve monitoring and facilitation of health services provided to Palestinian refugees. By the end of 2017, the system had been deployed in 129 health centres, included the health files of 3 million patients, and managed more than 8 million visits per year. We assessed whether preventive-health-care services had improved following implementation of the system. Methods This observational study used three key performance indicators to assess preventive-health-care services reported in UNRWA's annual reports in 2012-17: the percentage of targeted people aged 40 years and older screened for diabetes; the percentage of pregnant women with a livebirth who attended at least four antenatal visits; and the prevalence of growth problems (underweight, stunting, wasting, and overweight or obesity) in children younger than 5 years. Simple descriptive analysis was conducted with Microsoft Excel 2010. Ethical approval was obtained from the

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