Routine Health Information Utilization and Associated Factors among Health Professionals Working in Public Health Facilities of the South Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Routine health information is the pillar for planning and management of health services and plays a vital role in effective and efficient health service delivery, decision making, and the improvement of programs. Therefore, this study aimed to assess routine health information utilization and associated factors among health professionals working in public health facilities of the south region.

Methods: Institution based cross-sectional study design was employed. Data was collected from randomly selected 719 participants using a pre-tested, interviewer administered structured questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out.

Result: The overall utilization of routine health information was 63.1. Place of residence, HMIS personnel, HMIS code, overwhelming data source, population based data, data quality control, feedback, monitoring chart, 8.467) and data transfer policy were factors significantly associated with utilization of routine health information.

Conclusion: Six out of ten health professionals had utilized routine health information. Place of residence, HMIS personnel, HMIS code, overwhelming data source, population based data, data quality control, feedback, monitoring chart and data transfer policy had significant associations with routine health information utilization. Therefore, concerned health authorities need to work on these factors to improve the utilization.

Keywords: Routine health information utilization; Southern Ethiopia; public health facilities.

Figure 1

Number of health professionals received in-service training on HMIS in the last 12 months, South Ethiopia, 2018/19

Figure 2

Frequency of feedback received by health professionals working in public health facilities of South region on the last two supervisory visits, 2018/19.