1. Data quality evaluation in a fragmented health information system: a case study in two health regions in Gabon (Preprint)
- Author
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Gayo Diallo, Edgard Brice NGOUNGOU, and Aimé Patrice KOUMAMBA
- Abstract
BACKGROUND Every organization, especially healthcare-related ones, must have access to high-quality data. In reality, quality data enables any healthcare system to adhere to and analyze its specified objectives in order to meet the needs of its users. Therefore, it is essential that the processes used to generate these data are well-structured and effective. In so many sub-Saharan African nations, the data management processes are limited, resulting in a quality issue in the collected data in the healthcare sector (such as the low levels of completeness, low levels of accuracy, and low levels of responsiveness). This is becoming increasingly common, and it undermines the accuracy of the intervention decisions made by the management of any healthcare system. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the performance of Gabon's health information system, we conducted a study of the procedures used to collect high-quality data. METHODS This qualitative study followed a five-step methodology (identification of indicators in the data collection process, specification of data allowing the calculation of indicators, design of the data collection questionnaire, collection of data and health information system performance evaluation). We have opted to rely on the qualities (criteria) of three factors that contribute to data quality (data recording and storage, verification of data accuracy and data processing and analysis). RESULTS 58% of the structures do not appear to satisfy all the criteria that encourage the capture and storage of data, 53% do not appear to meet all the criteria that promote the verification of the data's accuracy, and 56% do not appear to meet all the criteria that promote good data processing and analysis. CONCLUSIONS Despite the fact that the characteristics employed to evaluate the quality of the data in our study are not exhaustive, they have the advantage of characterizing the performance level of the healthcare information system in Gabon. We notice from this study that Gabon's healthcare information system has constraints that prevent it from producing trustworthy data to support strategic decisions, and the results of this study may serve as a basis for considering the enhancement of the current health information system.
- Published
- 2023
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