Open J Public Health | Volume 6, Issue 1 | Research Article | Open Access
Koumamba AP1,2*, Ngoungou EB2 and Diallo G1
1Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology and Environmental Health Research Unit, University of Bordeaux, France 2Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology and Environmental Health Research Unit, University of Health Sciences, Gabon
*Correspondance to: Aimé Patrice Koumamba
Fulltext PDFBackground: The performance of a Health Information System (HIS) is highly dependent on the quality of health data. The HIS is essential to the healthcare system, as it provides information for decision-making. The issue of data quality remains a challenge for many healthcare systems. It should be noted that the quality of the data discussed in this article is linked to its suitability for a specific purpose and is defined by different criteria, such as: (i) timeliness; (ii) completeness; (iii) accuracy; and (iv) integrity. The Gabonese health system has an HIS that systematically collects, processes and evaluates data to guide health activities. The results of several studies conducted on this HIS are consistent with the idea that it is fragmented. In the current context, we thought it appropriate to conduct a study, based on a limited number of non-exhaustive criteria, in order to assess the quality of the data in two health regions of Gabon. Objective: To have a metric to assess the degree of relevance of health system data in Gabon. Methods and Tools: A quantitative study was conducted based on three data quality criteria, namely: (i) the ability to capture and store data, (ii) the ability to verify the accuracy of the data, and (iii) the ability to process and analyze the data. Results: The results show that there are shortcomings in this HIS that have the potential to compromise the quality of the data. Only 58% of structures record and store data, 53% of these structures do not verify the accuracy of the data, and 56% of structures do not meet all the criteria to facilitate data processing and analysis. Conclusion: This study shows this HIS has limitations that affect the quality of the data.
Data quality; HIS; Completeness; Accuracy; Timeliness
Koumamba AP, Ngoungou EB, Diallo G. Data Quality in a Routine Health Information System: The Situation in Gabon as Seen from Two Health Regions. Open J Public Health. 2024; 6(1): 1050.