BACKGROUND:
Routine
Health Information Systems data should be used in a systematic and institutionalised manner to support the making of plans, the
monitoring of plans and in supportive
supervision. To explore to what extent there is discussion about the linkage between
planning,
monitoring and
supervision of sub-national programs using routine data we conducted a scoping
review. The
review question was How are routine
health information systems used in developing and
monitoring health plans at district and facility level?
METHODS:
From a search of Ovid
Medline (all), EMBASE and Web of
Science along with a
review of
grey literature and involving a number of key stakeholders in identifying any missing
resources a total of over 2200
documents were reviewed and data from 13
documents were extracted.
RESULTS:
Overall, there are many descriptions of how to implement and strengthen systems, ways to assess and improve data availability and quality, tools to improve the data use context,
training in data use and mechanisms to involve stakeholders and strengthen
infrastructure. However, there are gaps in examples of routine
health data being used in the development,
monitoring and
supervision of plans at district and facility level.
CONCLUSIONS:
There appears to be no institutionalised obligation of planners to monitor plans, very little guidance on how to practically monitor programs and minimal discussion about how to use the routinely available data to supportively supervise the implementation of the plans. To overcome these shortcomings, we recommend that practical
procedures to ensure linkage of existing district plans to regular
monitoring of priority programs are institutionalised, that mechanisms for making managers institutionally accountable for
monitoring and supervising these plans are put in place, and that practical guidelines for linking plans with routine
health information system data and regular
monitoring and supportive
supervision are developed.