Volume 2, Issue 2 October 2012
Pacific Health Information Network www.phinnetwork.org
Vanuatu: Revising HIS monthly reporting One of the major challenges faced by HIS in developing countries is the large amount of data being collected at lower levels of the data collection chain by health workers in addition to what is perceived as their own “clinical” work In addition to often being untrained in the use of data collection tools (HIS Forms), being passed on generation after generation of health workers, staff also have to battle language barriers (forms are often developed by expatriate data managers). Forms are rarely revised to suit changing data requirements or language needs, especially when forms are used by national staff at lower and peripheral level health facilities.
national language, is the predominant language used at health centers, dispensaries and aid posts. Questionnaires have shown that health staff at these facilities prefer the forms to be in Bislama, even though some medical terms cannot be translated and are used as-is.
reduction of 137 data cells.
Key stakeholders were consulted in one-to-one meetings, workshops or surveys using a structured questionnaire. Stakeholders included individual Program Units within the Ministry of Health, Vila Central Hospital Staff, field staff like nurse and nurse aids, Keeping these issues in mind, along Village Health Workers, Directors of with key reporting requirements of Public Health as well as the Corpodevelopments partners like WHO, rate Unit within the MoH, developSPC, UNICEF, UNFPA, AusAID and ment partners in the field of health in their Vanuatu Joint Partners Working Vanuatu, the HIS Task Force consistGroup (JPWG), the indicators in the ing of inter alia, members from Civil Vanuatu National Health Sector Registration Office (CRO), National Strategy (2010-2016), Performance Statistics Office (NSO), Prime MinisAssessment Framework (PAF), Prior- ter’s office (PMO) and the Ministry of ity Action Agenda (PAA) and MDG’s; Health. the existing 4 page (A4 size) form, has been revised to a 2 page (A3 size) The newly revised HIS form was form written in the local language of cleared with appreciation by the HIS Bislama. The form will be printed into Task force and is now ready to be a triplicate, self-carbon paper book- approved by the highest governing let with explanation of terms in body in the Ministry of Health on 02 French and English on both insideOct 2012. cover pages. Author: Ms. Bindu Varghese, HIS AdAusAID has kindly agreed to fund the visor to Ministry of Health in Vanuprinting of these booklets and one atu. In consultation with Mr. Jeffrey will be printed for each health cenTila, HIS Manager, MoH Vanuatu tre/dispensary for a two-year period. The booklet will ensure that the mas- For more information, please contact ter copy is not lost at the health facil- Jeffrey on jtlangati@vanuatu.gov.vu ity itself, as loose pages tend to be misplaced easily.
Over time, global reporting requirements have changed and with the monitoring of MDG’s, it is important for countries to reflect relevant indicators in their data collection tools. In the case of Vanuatu, at the health centers and dispensaries, a four page HIS form is currently filled-in by hand in triplicate; with the original copy for the health facility, one copy for the Provincial Office and one copy for the national Health Information Unit (HIU). In addition to the tally sheet with 235 data fields, the monthly By this one effort, the reporting burreporting form used for reporting den on nurses has reduced by 66.6 % data to higher levels has approxi(only one set to be handwritten and mately 560 data fields. the others will be replicated automatically). Data cells to be filled have The form was developed in English/ reduced from 560 to 423, another French. However Bislama, the official
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February/March 2013 HIS Leadership Forum and PHIN meeting More details coming soon