Understanding Health Information Needs and Gaps in the Health Care System in Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

Health information and the channels that facilitate the flow and exchange of this information to and among health care providers are key elements of a strong health system that offers high-quality services,yet few studies have examined how health care workers define, obtain, and apply information in the course of their daily work. To better understand health information needs and barriers across all of levels of the health care system, the authors conducted a needs assessment in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. Data collection consisted of 46 key informant interviews and 9 focus group discussions. Results of the needs assessment pointed to the following themes: (a) perceptions or definitions of health information related to daily tasks performed at different levels of the health system; (b) information flow in the public Health Information Needs in Uttar Pradesh 31Health information and the channels that facilitate the flow and exchange of this information to and among health care providers are key elements of a strong health system that offers high-quality services, thus contributing to improved health outcomes (Horton, 2000). Yet, research undertaken to understand the information needs of health professionals is limited (Pakenham-Walsh & Bukachi, 2009;Revere et al., 2007). Few studies have examined how health care workers define or obtain information, and, even more important, how they apply information in the course of their daily work (Kale, 1994). Pakenham-Walsh and Bukachi (2009), in a literature review of information needs of health care workers in developing countries, found that access to information is easier at the central levels of the health system, whereas workers at the subdistrict and grassroots levels have substantial unmet needs for information.Access to and use of information has recently been reshaped by the telecommunications revolution sweeping across resource-poor nations (Lucas, 2008). New technologies have provided opportunities that were inconceivable just a few years ago. For example, in 1998 Lown, Bukachi, and Xavier (1998) noted, "While the affluent travel at greater speed on the information highway, a majority of the world's population has never made a phone call" (p. 36). Today, India has more than 858 million mobile telephone users, and the number is continuing to grow at a rate of 20 million each month (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, 2011).Although India's information technology sector is developing rapidly and expanding access to information, health personnel in India still lack relevant and actionable information. There remains a "need to improve the quality of health-care information in terms of its reliability, relevance and usability" (Godlee, PakenhamWalsh, Ncayiyana, Cohen, & Packer, 2004, p. 298).In the face of the health challenges in India, health care providers need relevant and actionable information. In particular, the heavily populated northern states in India, such as Uttar Pradesh, continue to have high levels of maternal and infant mortality (International ...

Evidence-based information needs of public health workers: a systematized review

“…Overall, response rates ranged from 25%–100%, with a median of 65%. In 10 studies, the authors did not acknowledge or address possible biases in their research [25, 26, 29, 31, 37, 39, 40–43]. …”

“…Information needs were defined as the types of information that public health workers need in their daily work. Several studies reported that public health workers need statistics, government reports and guidelines, and journal articles [11, 27, 31, 40, 42, 46, 48]. Staying current with the latest public health research, finding data, and finding materials for grant-writing were other areas of need [11, 13, 14, 32, 33, 49].…”

“…Participants frequently expressed the need for librarians but were often uncertain about the services that librarians could provide [11, 13, 26, 28, 29, 46]. Information needs often differed according to the roles and positions of participants [12, 40]. Local health department employees, for example, were more interested in practical knowledge, while state health departments had an increased need for guidelines and program planning [40].…”

“…Information needs often differed according to the roles and positions of participants [12, 40]. Local health department employees, for example, were more interested in practical knowledge, while state health departments had an increased need for guidelines and program planning [40]. …”

Scientometric trends and knowledge maps of global health systems research

“…Group 3 (yellow) includes primary care research, training and education [98-100], quality of care [101,102], quality improvement [103], patient safety improvement and management [104], primary care expenditure [105], general practitioner [106], contribution of primary care to health systems and health [68], primary care reform and evaluation, family medicine [107,108], health literacy [67,109,110], chronic disease management [111], and integrated care.…”