title: Availability and quality of routine morbidity data: review of studies in South Africa.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Routine health information systems (RHISs) provide data that are vital for planning and monitoring individual health. Data from RHISs could also be used for purposes for which they were not originally intended, provided that the data are of sufficient quality. For example, morbidity data could be used to inform burden of disease estimations, which serve as important evidence to prioritize interventions and promote health. The objective of this study was to identify and assess published quantitative assessments of data quality related to patient morbidity in RHISs in use in South Africa.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a review of literature published between 1994 and 2014 that assessed the quality of data in RHISs in South Africa. World Health Organization (WHO) data quality components were used as the assessment criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 420 references identified, 11 studies met the inclusion criteria. The studies were limited to tuberculosis and HIV. No study reported more than 3 WHO data quality components or provided a quantitative assessment of quality that could be used for burden of disease estimation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The included studies had limited geographical focus and evaluated different source data at different levels of the information system. All studies reported poor data quality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This review confirmed concerns about the quality of data in RHISs, and highlighted the need for a comprehensive evaluation of the quality of patient-level morbidity data in RHISs in South Africa.
authors.affiliation: Burden of Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Rifqah A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Roomaney
authors.affiliation: Burden of Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pillay-van Wyk
authors.affiliation: Burden of Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Oluwatoyin F
authors.initials: OF
authors.lastname: Awotiwon
authors.affiliation: Burden of Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nicol
authors.affiliation: Burden of Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Jané D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Joubert
authors.affiliation: Burden of Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Debbie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bradshaw
authors.affiliation: Burden of Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Lyn A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Hanmer
mesh_terms: D000068598:Data Accuracy; D003906:Developing Countries; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D063005:Health Information Systems / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D009017:Morbidity; D011634:Public Health; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: South Africa; data quality; morbidity; routine health information system; surveillance