Data Demand and Information Use

MEval-SIFSA assisted the DoH at national, provincial, and district levels to improve its efficiency and effectiveness by identifying data needs, understanding indicators and targets, improving data quality, analyzing data, and presenting and using information for decision/policy making to improve health outcomes.

The Department of Health (DoH) District Health Management Information System (DHMIS) Policy calls for revision of the National Indicator Data Set (NIDS) and the Provincial Indicator Data Set (PIDS) and its implementation, and as well as for strengthened use of information. This is to enable the DoH and its partners improve the health care system, and ultimately health outcomes. Up-to-date, relevant, good quality, reliable and timely information from the routine health information system is required.

Volumes of data are generated, involving a wide range of staff at various levels of the health system. Data is collected on over 100 indicators from over 4,000 health facilities in 52 districts of the 9 provinces in South Africa.

Challenge

HIV prevalence by districts in South Africa, 2012 Shisana, O, Rehle, T, Simbayi LC, Zuma, K, Jooste, S, Zungu N, Labadarios, D, Onoya, D et al. (2014) South African National HIV Prevalence, Incidence and Behaviour Survey, 2012. Cape Town: HSRC Press

Health workers are infrequently trained on DDU.
Many staff have limited awareness of, and fail to participate in, the established DoH data demand process; that is reviewing the National Indicator Data Set (NIDS) and the Provincial Indicator Data Set (PIDS).
Data is collected at health facilities, but there is little engaging with it before submission to the next level of the health system, nor are targets well known.
Provision of feedback, performance review, and information use does not always flow down to health facilities.
In addition, although information is increasingly available, many staff do not find the presented formats useable, or know how to analize and interpret data, nor is data use in decision/policy making or advocacy institutionalized.

Data Demand and Information Use (DDU) approach includes a powerful set of activities to ensure programs and management: Specify upfront, and actively seek, the type of data they require (data demand). Engage with the data collected by analysis, interpretation and utilization (information use). The approach addresses technical, organizational and behavioural determinants that affect DDU. When applied the DDU approach improves information use for effective program implementation, improvement, advocacy, and evidence-based decision or policy making.

Response by MEASURE Evaluation–Strategic Information for South Africa

: MEval-SIFSA Senior Technical Advisor Data Demand and Use, Roselyn Kareithi, PhD, conducting a Communicating Data for Decision Making training workshop

MEASURE Evaluation–Strategic Information for South Africa (MEval-SIFSA) assisted the DoH at national, provincial and district levels to improve its efficiency and effectiveness by identifying data needs, understanding indicators and targets, improving data quality, analyzing data, presenting and using information for decision/policy making to improve health outcomes. The focus was on routine health information. MEval-SIFSA also worked in partnership with PEPFAR partners operating at district and lower levels of the health care system.

The DDU capacity enhancement approach includes training workshops (in Data Analysis and Communicating Data for Decision Making), providing ongoing technical assistance, and developing information products. The diagram below shows how MEval-SIFSA’s support assisted DoH to increase the use of routine health information for decision/policy making and advocacy, which ultimately contributed to improved service delivery and health outcomes.

DDU graphic.png

For additional information, please visit http://www.cpc.unc.edu/measure/sifsa or contact Nandipha Tyobeka, Eval-SIFSA Communications Officer, nandipha.tyobeka@jsi.org.za, + 27 (0) 12 346 7490.

Status of Data Demand, Quality and Use: Baseline Results of Assessed Health Districts in South Africa

Filed under: Data Quality , MEval-SIFSA , Data , DDU , South Africa

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TB DIAH will run until September 2023, PMI Measure Malaria until June 2024, and D4I until September 2023.

MEASURE Evaluation is funded by USAID to strengthen capacity in developing countries to gather, interpret, and use data to improve health. We create tools and approaches for rigorous evaluations, providing evidence to address health challenges. And we strengthen health information systems so countries can make better decisions and sustain good health outcomes over time.

MEASURE Evaluation
Carolina Population Center
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Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27516
Email: measure@unc.edu
www.measureevaluation.org

MEASURE Evaluation is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The information provided on this web site is not official U.S. government information and does not necessarily represent the views of USAID, PEPFAR or the U.S. government.

Data Demand and Information Use

Challenge

Response by MEASURE Evaluation–Strategic Information for South Africa

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