Utilization of health information data in Nairobi County public health facilities; lessons from the field

Abstract

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.