| dc.description.abstract | The World Health Organization (WHO) identified
information as one of the six key pillars of an effective health
system. In this context, the need to strengthen community health
information has been felt globally. African countries have faced
the greatest challenges in collecting, analyzing, evaluating and
interpreting indicator data to guide evidence based policymaking. The generation of health information starts at the
community level through the Community-Based health
information system (CbHMIS) (Kaburu, Kaburi, & Okero,
2016). At the community level, this source of information is
complete in coverage and in planning and action-oriented
(Odhiambo-Otieno, 2005). High health threats characterized by
low levels of life expectancy, deteriorating healthcare facilities,
high disease incidences, high levels of infant mortality (73/1000)
and maternal mortality (488/100,000) specifically on
communicable diseases are currently facing Kenya (Flora,
Margaret, & Dan, 2017). The importance of effective
information use is still a key impediment to these problems,
hence affecting greatly the health care service delivery at all
levels, and the worst level in its information use is level 1 – the
community. In Kenya, According to a situation analysis on the
state of Community Health Services in year 2014, the
functionality of CbHIS was said to be at 64% which came down
considerably to 55% in year 2015 documented by USAID, and
that access to quality data was not guaranteed through the current
CbHMIS. Some known and assumed barriers include: lack of
proper processes, lack of physical access, lack of awareness of
what is available; lack of relevance of available information (i.e.
not meeting peoples' needs in terms of scope, style or format);
lack of time and incentives to access information; and lack of
interpretation skills (Flora et al., 2017). Processes forms an
integral part of performance (Aqil et al., 2009). In Kenya, the
Kenyan Health Information System has had several weaknesses
which include weak linkages, data sharing, inadequate feedback,
and lack of an operational CBHMIS manual, among others. The
purpose of the study was to assess the influence of process
interventions of the CHVs on CBHIS use in Kiambu, Kajiado
and Nairobi Counties, Kenya. The study objectives were to 1.
examine the influence community units assesments on CbHMIS
use; 2. Assess the influence of feedback on CbHMIS use; 3.
Assess dialogue and action days influence on CbHMIS use; 4.
Determine the influence of reporting channels on CbHMIs use.
A cross-sectional analytical study design was adopted, utilizing
both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The target
population was 156 active CUs from the 3 counties, from
whence a total sample of 122 CUswasderived. Multistage
sampling was used to identify the CUs, and systematic random
sampling to identify 366 respondents. One Focus Group
Discussion with the members of the community health
committees and two Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) were
conducted in each of the three counties. The respondents in the
KIIs were County Community Strategy Coordinators and Subcounty Community Strategy Officers. Quantitative data was
analyzed using SPSS to generate univariate and bivariate
analysis at p<0.05 significance level and results were presented
in form of graphs, frequency tables, figures, and narration.
Qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis based on
key themes generated from the objectives. Majority were
Females 72.4% n=265; majority attained secondary level
education 42.6% (n=156); Non-formal occupation stood at
84.7% (n=310); Use of CBHMIS stood at 56.6% (n=207).
Process interventions, 36% of the respondents agreed that the
Sub-county team and CU leadership are quick to act on the
feedback of our MIS reports. Process interventions (X4) explains
67.4% of total variation in CbHMIS use. (R2 = .674). Attention
should be given to reporting channels by ensuring that CUs are
technologically enabled to be reporting in a timely manner The
study recommends that CUs should be provided with enabling
technology and further capacity development in technical,
computer and electronic reporting skills | en_US |
