e-Learning

MEASURE Evaluation–Strategic Information for South Africa (MEval-SIFSA) assisted the South African Government with developing, piloting, implementing, and evaluating e-Learning courses to strengthen capacity for use of routine health information systems (RHIS).

The objective was to develop e-Learning materials, in partnership with the Department of Health (DoH), to reach health workers at all levels of the health system. The value of such a contribution was enhancement in the knowledge of RHIS and other policies, and better management of health information. The expected result was that the country would then have access to valid and reliable HIV and related health data that could be used for better decision making at all levels and lead to better health outcomes for people.

MEval-SIFSA worked with national and provincial partners and stakeholders to agree on course content topics and to develop a curriculum. The focus for the initial e-Learning courses was on the District Health Management Information System (DHMIS) policy and its associated standard operating procedures, and the National Indicator Data Set (NIDS).

The project’s e-Learning initiative fell within national strategies and policies described in the Department of Health’s “eHealth Strategy South Africa 2012–2016.” It is hoped that these efforts can continue as part of full implementation of the strategy that is to be driven by the DoH’s eHealth Standards Authority.

MEASURE Evaluation–Strategic Information for South Africa (MEval-SIFSA) has established a “Health Information eLearning Hub” and trained health department officials from seven provinces as “eLearning administrators” for their provinces. These people will manage and support users for professional training via the eLearning Hub and will develop new courses that the hub can offer to meet health department needs. The hub also includes a smart phone app. Dr. Valerie Yeager of MEval-SIFSA is the activity lead for eLearning in the project. She developed the three pilot courses and the eLearning platform now in use by the National Department of Health in South Africa. Participants in the training were from Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Free State, Kwa Zulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and Gauteng provinces. Photo credit: Valerie Yeager, PhD, MEASURE Evaluation SIFSA.