Using DHIS 2 Software to Collect Health Data in Bangladesh

Author(s): Tahmina Begum, Shaan Muberra Khan, Jannatul Ferdous, Muhammad Masud Parvez, Aminur Rahman, Feroza Akhter Kumkum, and Iqbal Anwar

Year: 2019

Abstract:

Accurate and high-quality data are important for improving program effectiveness and informing policy. As part of Bangladesh’s district health information system, which allows data to be entered at the community level and analyzed at the central, state, and district levels, the country adopted the web-based platform DHIS 2 in 2009. In Bangladesh, real-time health service use data, with particular attention to reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (RMNCAH), are available from the community level to the tertiary hospital level. However, health data are being underused for health planning purposes, because of poor data quality and reporting.

The main objective of this study was to understand the user’s perceptions of and experiences with using DHIS 2 to collect and analyze RMNCAH data in Bangladesh and to identify facilitators and barriers to using these data at different levels of the healthcare system. The study used three qualitative research methods. Insights from this study are expected to contribute to the development of effective strategies for successful DHIS 2 implementation and, ultimately, the design of a responsive health management information system in Bangladesh.