Accelerating implementation of District Health Information Systems: Perspectives from healthcare workers from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
South African Journal of Information Management
| Field | Value | |
| Title | Accelerating implementation of District Health Information Systems: Perspectives from healthcare workers from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | |
| Creator | Jinabhai, Champaklal C. Onwubu, Stanley C. Sibiya, Maureen N. Thakur, Surendra | |
| Description | Background: Although electronic health record systems are critical for healthcare management, there has been genuine concern about the quantity and quality of data generated by these systems inhibiting its full implementation.Objectives: The purpose of this article was to explore the experiences of healthcare workers (HCWs) and challenges facing the acceleration of the District Health Information System (DHIS) in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province of South Africa.Methods: In this study, an interpretive research paradigm was followed to explore the current state of electronic health in South Africa from the experiences of HCWs in the KZN province. Semi-structured focus group interviews conducted with 20 participants drawn from the district office, clinical nurse practitioners and data capturers allowed thematic analysis of data using a systems approach to link the perspectives HCWs to the design of the DHIS.Results: The participants held the view that e-health is crucial for monitoring disease trends, policy development, planning and allocation of infrastructure, information technology (IT), financial and human resources. Nevertheless, the participants highlighted a concern surrounding e-health regulations, ethics and data confidentiality; data quality and lack of interoperability of Health Information Systems (HIS). This concern was attributed to data fragmentation, internal politics and lack of coordination of the data system.Conclusions: The study suggests that good quality data – from an integrated DHIS, is highly critical for the effective utilisation, implementation and acceleration of e-health systems in the province to support epidemiological surveillance and modelling of outbreaks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2021-12-10 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/sajim.v23i1.1435 | |
| Source | SA Journal of Information Management; Vol 23, No 1 (2021); 8 pages 1560-683X 2078-1865 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://sajim.co.za/index.php/sajim/article/view/1435/2089
https://sajim.co.za/index.php/sajim/article/view/1435/2090
https://sajim.co.za/index.php/sajim/article/view/1435/2091
https://sajim.co.za/index.php/sajim/article/view/1435/2092
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