Disaggregated data to improve child health outcomes.
BACKGROUND
The District Health Information System was developed in South Africa to collect aggregated routine data from public health facilities. In Amajuba District, KwaZulu-Natal, ward-based data collection has been initiated to facilitate improved responsiveness to community health needs and improve health outcomes and patient satisfaction.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the application of the municipal ward-based health data in the decision-making process to improve child health outcomes.


METHODS
The study was conducted in 25 primary health care service sites in Amajuba.


METHODS
A cross-sectional mixed methods' approach was used. The study population comprised operational managers, professional nurses, ward-based outreach team leaders and supervisors. Quantitative data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were collected using focus group discussions and analysed using thematic analysis.


RESULTS
Of the 131 respondents, 83 (67.5%) provided targeted child interventions to a certain or a large extent to improve child health outcomes, but only 74 (57.4%) respondents reported using municipal ward-based health data to a certain or large extent in order to inform their decisions. This discrepancy indicates poor utilisation of local health information for decision making.


CONCLUSIONS
The study showed that municipal ward-based health data are not fully utilised for making informed decisions to improve child health outcomes. It is imperative to inculcate a culture of evidence-informed decisions that leads to provision of targeted interventions in order to mitigate the challenge of scarcity of resources and to improve child health outcomes.
KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health, Amajuba Health District. tshabalalamamosa1@gmail.com.
Ann M E T
AM
Tshabalala
Myra
M
Taylor
D002648:Child; D000067576:Child Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003657:Decision Making; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D017144:Focus Groups; D006282:Health Personnel; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D058996:Quality Improvement; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D013019:South Africa; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires