Feasibility of Integrating Social Service and Community Health Data in DHIS 2

Author(s): Dawne Walker

Year: 2017

Abstract:

Governments require information about the health and social service needs of their populations to enable effective policymaking and resource allocation. Most governments have health information systems to track critical health indicators, and these data are often captured in the district health information system software known as DHIS 2. However, these systems are not often linked to the data systems used by social and community services, where people often access care. As a result, the systems are fragmented and unable to provide holistic information for decision making on health and social services.

Could DHIS 2 offer the answer? Here we present what we learned from a literature review and key informant interviews about using DHIS 2 as a platform for managing nonhealth social service and community health data, experiences integrating these data streams in the DHIS 1 and 2 platforms, recommendations for implementation, and whether the systems should be integrated or merely made interoperable. We present a list of prerequisites for an integrated community healthy and social service data system to collect reliable data for decision making.