Browsing by Author "Igira, Faraja"

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    Designing and Implementing Hospital Management Information Systems: Experiences from Zanzibar
    (2007) Igira, Faraja; Titlestad, Ola H.; Lungo, Juma H.; Shaw, Vincent; Sheikh, Yahya; Mahundi, Masoud; Suleiman, Omar; Khamis, Maryam M.; Makungu, Asha; Braa, Jørn
    Hospitals in Zanzibar have experienced problems in collecting and managing its health care data. The main problem was lack of standards in data collection and reporting from the wards and clinics. The decisions to improve the information system within the hospitals embarked on a project known as the Health Information Systems Programme (HISP). This paper analyses HISP’s on-going action research and participatory design efforts in the development of an integrated HIS for hospitals in Zanzibar. Key lessons learned are the need for a long term strategy to HIS development, identifying the most important data sets and gather them early on, providing feedback to health workers from an early system implementation stage, the focus should include the source of information and HIS is a developmental activity. At the time of writing this paper there are standardized paper forms for data collection, established reporting routines and a working version of computer software for data storage, analysis and reporting.
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    Development of Health Information System in Zanzibar: Practical Implications
    (2008-01-08) Lungo, Juma H.; Igira, Faraja
    The Ministry of Health in Zanzibar has embarked on Health Information System development with the aim of streamlining health data collection, storage, analysis and reporting in order to attain data-driven informed decision-making. The project involved two aspects: development of essential health data sets and implementation of a computerised data-storage and analysis tool. From January 2005 to December 2007 during the implementation of the project data were collected through a triangulation of qualitative methods: interviews, participant observation, document analysis, software development and training workshops. The study indicates that carefully-planned leadership of a project, clearly-stated goals and distinction between the roles of technical and sponsor networks strengthen an ICT project immeasurably. Lessons drawn include the use of local, culturally-immersed leaders to spearhead the project and the use of flexible open-source software as translators of the primary actor’s interest in achieving the goals through enrolling other actors.
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    Implementation of ICTs in Health and Management Information System for Zanzibar
    (2007) Lungo, Juma H.; Sheikh, Yahya; Igira, Faraja; Braa, Jørn; Titlestad, Ola; Mahundi, Masoud; Abubakar, Bakar; Twaakyondo, Hashim M.; Suleiman, Omar
    In November 2004, the Ministry of Health in Zanzibar and itsstakeholders conducted a HMIS review. The results revealed that the HMIS isfragmented and does notsupport datadriven decision-making. To address theseshortcomings, a roadmap towards development of HMIS was agreed as follows: (1)development of essential datasets, (2) developing and implementing a computer database. The decision was to take theDistrict Health Information Software (DHIS)developed by the Health Information System Programme(HISP) and customise it tofit the context in Zanzibar. HISP is a global project using Action research andParticipatory design approaches to empower the emerging local health managementstructures and health workers through improved and locally based information systems in a number of developingcountries. At the time of writing this paper there is essential datasets and an implemented computer database usedfor data storage, analysis and reporting