Open Source Software Solution for Healthcare: The Case of Health Information System in Zanzibar

Sheikh, Yahya; Bakar, Abubakar Diwani

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-29093-0_14

Cited by 17 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 9 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…They also demanded refresher trainings, particularly after every update to the DHIS2 software or after any changes made to the data collection forms. In line with our study, insu cient attention on training needs has also been identi ed as a major challenge with DHIS2 use in Ghana (32) and in Zanzibar (36) . To overcome this challenge, some effective strategies were found in Kenya.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Perceptions and experiences with district health information system software to collect and utilize health data in Bangladesh: A qualitative exploratory study

Begum

Khan

Adamou

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Accurate and high-quality data are important for improving program effectiveness and informing policy.In 2009 Bangladesh’s health management information system (HMIS) adopted the District Health Information Software, Version 2 (DHIS2) to capture real-time health service utilization data. However, routinely collected data are being underused because of poor data quality and reporting. We aimed to understand the facilitators and barriers to implementing DHIS2 as a way to retrieve meaningful and accurate data for reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (RMNCAH) services. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in two districts of Bangladesh from September 2017 to 2018. Data collection included key informant interviews (n=11), in-depth interviews (n=23), and focus group discussions (n=2). The study participants were involved with DHIS2 implementation from the community level to the national level. The data were analyzed thematically.Results: DHIS2 could improve the timeliness and completeness of data reporting over time. The reported facilitating factors were strong government commitment, extensive donor support, and positive attitudes toward technology among staff. Quality checks and feedback loops at multiple levels of data gathering points are helpful for minimizing data errors. Introducing a dashboard makes DHIS2 compatible to use as a monitoring tool. Barriers to effective DHIS2 implementation were lack of human resources, slow Internet connectivity, frequent changes to DHIS2 versions, and maintaining both manual and electronic system side-by-side. The data in DHIS2 remains incomplete because it does not capture data from private health facilities. Having two parallel HMIS reporting the same RMNCAH indicators threatens data quality and increases the reporting workload. Conclusion: The overall insights from this study are expected to contribute to the development of effective strategies for successful DHIS2 implementation and building a responsive HMIS. Focused strategic direction is needed to sustain the achievements of digital data culture. Periodic refresher trainings, incentives for increased performance, and an automated single reporting system for multiple stakeholders could make the system more user-friendly. A national electronic health strategy and implementation framework can facilitate creating a culture of DHIS2 use for planning, setting priorities, and decision making among stakeholder groups.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Perceptions and experiences with district health information system software to collect and utilize health data in Bangladesh: A qualitative exploratory study

Begum

Khan

Adamou

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Resource constraints that characterise most developing countries form a key barrier to global HIS strengthening efforts. Due to high budget deficits, there is underinvestment towards HIS strengthening efforts which limits their ability to acquire appropriate software to drive their HIS operations [2,3]. To mitigate this, a common strategy in developing countries is to adopt and adapt a generic health information system for use in the local context.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Traditionally, software is distributed under a proprietary license which requires clients to pay annual license fees for using the software and prevents them from modifying and redistributing the software [8]. With the prevailing resource constraints, the cost of ownership and freedom to modify software to fit local settings are major concerns for developing countries [3]. Open-source software provides an opportunity to build low-cost health information systems allowing countries with modest resources access to modern data analysis and visualization tools [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, open source software is viewed as a tool for technical self-sufficiency as it eliminates the need for outside consultants and reduces costs of ownership of software [11]. Consequently, the use of generic open source health information systems in developing countries is common [2,3]. The convergence of open source software and software platform approaches in the design and development of health information systems has given rise to open source health information software platforms with DHIS and OpenMRS as popular examples.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A Framework to Assess and Address Human Capacities Needed to Leverage Open Source Software Platforms in Developing Countries

Msiska

Nielsen

2017

IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Matavire et al (2010) identified factors related to IT project leadership weaknesses, task conflicts and institutional fragmentation as contributing factors to project implementation challenges in South Africa. Lungo (2008) plus Sheikh and Bakar (2012), reported on the implementation effectiveness of health IS projects in Tanzania. They illuminate the issue of challenged projects by highlighting the role that relationships play between developer -sponsor; global developer -local developer and local developer -local user groups.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence processes of implementation effectiveness in challenged information technology projects in Africa

Ochara

Johnson

2014

Information Technology &Amp; People

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Emerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services. Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.

show abstract

Open Source Software Solution for Healthcare: The Case of Health Information System in Zanzibar

Cited by 17 publications

References 9 publications

Perceptions and experiences with district health information system software to collect and utilize health data in Bangladesh: A qualitative exploratory study

Perceptions and experiences with district health information system software to collect and utilize health data in Bangladesh: A qualitative exploratory study

A Framework to Assess and Address Human Capacities Needed to Leverage Open Source Software Platforms in Developing Countries

Influence processes of implementation effectiveness in challenged information technology projects in Africa

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About