Determinants of Reporting Rates for Hiv Testkits; A Case of Meru County, Kenya

Abstract

Ministry of Health has adopted reporting rates as a measure for improving health service delivery in terms of ensuring the health commodities and products supplied to the facilities are reported accurately at the end of the month for proper planning. Uninterrupted health commodity supply is determined by ensuring commodity reports are uploaded into District Health Information System 2 platform which is a national system for consolidating consumption data. It is this data that the national allocation committee uses to quantify and project HIV test kits required by facilities on quarterly basis. The main objective of the study was to assess the factors that influence reporting rates on HIV test kits in Meru County while the specific objectives are to determine the influence of the availability of the recommended reporting tools for HIV test kits, to examine the influence of human capacity on reporting rates for HIV Test kits, to assess the influence of the availability of standard operating procedures on reporting rates for HIV test kits and to determine the influence of organizational factors on reporting rates for HIV test kits. The study embraced quantitative research design where quantitative approach was used. The study target population was 270 Healthcare workers in Meru County to assess the role or the factors that affect the reporting rates of HIV test kits. The study used purposive sampling technique to sample the respondents that are Health care workers who are responsible for consolidating facility level HIV test kits reports in Meru County. Therefore the sample size was 270 health care workers. The study used semi structured questionnaires and data extraction sheet to collect the data. Majority 153(, 61.2%) were familiar with the recommended data reporting tools (MOH 643) (x2=101.76, p<0.05) slightly more than half of the Healthcare workers were regularly trained in the recommended data reporting tools (MOH 643 tool) 145, (58.0%) (x2=6.4, p<0.05). Approximately 101(40.4%) indicated that recommended data reporting tool(MOH 643) is adequate in capturing the consumption data of the HIV test kits (x2=77.67, p<0.05). Most of the respondents disagreed that there were enough staffs in the facility to fill the consumption data of the HIV test kits. The respondents agreed to the statement that they were aware of HIV test kits policies that are in place and the agreed that the policies were helpful at their work. The respondents agreed that they had a supervisor whom they report to in the course of their work and that their supervisor was not always available for consultation. There was strong positive relationship that was significant (p<0.05) between reporting rates and availability of the recommended reporting tools (rho=.693, p<0.05) while a strong positive relationship existed between reporting rates and availability of standard operating procedures (rho=.814, p<0.05) and a strong positive relationship between the reporting rates and human capacity (rho=.896, p<0.05) and support supervision (rho=-.407, p<0.05) and thus presence of enough staff, availability of standard operating procedures, supportive supervision all affects reporting rates for HIV test kits. The coefficient of determination obtained from the model was .663 and this indicated that the regression model explained only 66.3% of the factors that explained reporting rates on consumption data of HIV test kits in the county. In conclusion, recommended data reporting tools to capture HIV consumption data were inadequate. Inadequate training among health care workers, SOPS and guidelines were not well displayed at service delivery points and support supervisions by county and sub county team were not adequate. The study recommended capacity building among health care on reporting tools for HIV test kits, avail adequate commodity reporting tools for HIV test kits, Standard operating procedures to be displayed in service delivery points and there is a need for county/sub county team to conduct regular support supervision to facilities.