Leveraging phone-based mobile technology to improve data quality at health facilities in rural Malawi: a best practice project
Abstract Background To further reduce malaria burden, identification of areas with highest burden for targeted interventions needs to occur. Routine health information has the potential to indicate where and when clinical malaria occurs the most. Developing countries mostly use paper-based data syst...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Malaria Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-021-03742-x |
| _version_ | 1818865794399862784 |
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| author | Tinashe A. Tizifa William Nkhono Spencer Mtengula Michele van Vugt Zachary Munn Alinune N. Kabaghe |
| author_facet | Tinashe A. Tizifa William Nkhono Spencer Mtengula Michele van Vugt Zachary Munn Alinune N. Kabaghe |
| author_sort | Tinashe A. Tizifa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background To further reduce malaria burden, identification of areas with highest burden for targeted interventions needs to occur. Routine health information has the potential to indicate where and when clinical malaria occurs the most. Developing countries mostly use paper-based data systems however they are error-prone as they require manual aggregation, tallying and transferring of data. Piloting was done using electronic data capture (EDC) with a cheap and user friendly software in rural Malawian primary healthcare setting to improve the quality of health records. Methods Audit and feedback tools from the Joanna Briggs Institute (Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System and Getting Research into Practice) were used in four primary healthcare facilities. Using this approach, the best available evidence for a malaria information system (MIS) was identified. Baseline audit of the existing MIS was conducted in the facilities based on available best practice for MIS; this included ensuring data consistency and completeness in MIS by sampling 25 random records of malaria positive cases. Implementation of an adapted evidence-based EDC system using tablets on an OpenDataKit platform was done. An end line audit following implementation was then conducted. Users had interviews on experiences and challenges concerning EDC at the beginning and end of the survey. Results The existing MIS was paper-based, occupied huge storage space, had some data losses due to torn out papers and were illegible in some facilities. The existing MIS did not have documentation of necessary parameters, such as malaria deaths and treatment within 14 days. Training manuals and modules were absent. One health centre solely had data completeness and consistency at 100% of the malaria-positive sampled records. Data completeness and consistency rose to 100% with readily available records containing information on recent malaria treatment. Interview findings at the end of the survey showed that EDC was acceptable among users and they agreed that the tablets and the OpenDataKit were easy to use, improved productivity and quality of care. Conclusions Improvement of data quality and use in the Malawian rural facilities was achieved through the introduction of EDC using OpenDataKit. Health workers in the facilities showed satisfaction with the use of EDC. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T10:53:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2f2b7e404d5441739fd994e359276c46 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1475-2875 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T10:53:13Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Malaria Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-2f2b7e404d5441739fd994e359276c462022-12-21T20:24:54ZengBMCMalaria Journal1475-28752021-04-0120111110.1186/s12936-021-03742-xLeveraging phone-based mobile technology to improve data quality at health facilities in rural Malawi: a best practice projectTinashe A. Tizifa0William Nkhono1Spencer Mtengula2Michele van Vugt3Zachary Munn4Alinune N. Kabaghe5Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Center for Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, University Medical Center, University of AmsterdamTraining and Research Unit of Excellence (TRUE), School of Public Health and Family Medicine, College of Medicine, University of MalawiTraining and Research Unit of Excellence (TRUE), School of Public Health and Family Medicine, College of Medicine, University of MalawiDivision of Internal Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Center for Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, University Medical Center, University of AmsterdamJBI, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of AdelaideTraining and Research Unit of Excellence (TRUE), School of Public Health and Family Medicine, College of Medicine, University of MalawiAbstract Background To further reduce malaria burden, identification of areas with highest burden for targeted interventions needs to occur. Routine health information has the potential to indicate where and when clinical malaria occurs the most. Developing countries mostly use paper-based data systems however they are error-prone as they require manual aggregation, tallying and transferring of data. Piloting was done using electronic data capture (EDC) with a cheap and user friendly software in rural Malawian primary healthcare setting to improve the quality of health records. Methods Audit and feedback tools from the Joanna Briggs Institute (Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System and Getting Research into Practice) were used in four primary healthcare facilities. Using this approach, the best available evidence for a malaria information system (MIS) was identified. Baseline audit of the existing MIS was conducted in the facilities based on available best practice for MIS; this included ensuring data consistency and completeness in MIS by sampling 25 random records of malaria positive cases. Implementation of an adapted evidence-based EDC system using tablets on an OpenDataKit platform was done. An end line audit following implementation was then conducted. Users had interviews on experiences and challenges concerning EDC at the beginning and end of the survey. Results The existing MIS was paper-based, occupied huge storage space, had some data losses due to torn out papers and were illegible in some facilities. The existing MIS did not have documentation of necessary parameters, such as malaria deaths and treatment within 14 days. Training manuals and modules were absent. One health centre solely had data completeness and consistency at 100% of the malaria-positive sampled records. Data completeness and consistency rose to 100% with readily available records containing information on recent malaria treatment. Interview findings at the end of the survey showed that EDC was acceptable among users and they agreed that the tablets and the OpenDataKit were easy to use, improved productivity and quality of care. Conclusions Improvement of data quality and use in the Malawian rural facilities was achieved through the introduction of EDC using OpenDataKit. Health workers in the facilities showed satisfaction with the use of EDC.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-021-03742-xMalariaElectronic data captureInformation systemsEvidence-based implementationBaseline auditGRiP matrix |
| spellingShingle | Tinashe A. Tizifa William Nkhono Spencer Mtengula Michele van Vugt Zachary Munn Alinune N. Kabaghe Leveraging phone-based mobile technology to improve data quality at health facilities in rural Malawi: a best practice project Malaria Journal Malaria Electronic data capture Information systems Evidence-based implementation Baseline audit GRiP matrix |
| title | Leveraging phone-based mobile technology to improve data quality at health facilities in rural Malawi: a best practice project |
| title_full | Leveraging phone-based mobile technology to improve data quality at health facilities in rural Malawi: a best practice project |
| title_fullStr | Leveraging phone-based mobile technology to improve data quality at health facilities in rural Malawi: a best practice project |
| title_full_unstemmed | Leveraging phone-based mobile technology to improve data quality at health facilities in rural Malawi: a best practice project |
| title_short | Leveraging phone-based mobile technology to improve data quality at health facilities in rural Malawi: a best practice project |
| title_sort | leveraging phone based mobile technology to improve data quality at health facilities in rural malawi a best practice project |
| topic | Malaria Electronic data capture Information systems Evidence-based implementation Baseline audit GRiP matrix |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-021-03742-x |
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