The health information system in the City of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe: how good is it?
Tshimanga M; Peterson DE; Dlodlo RA Health Studies Office, Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, Harare, Zimbabwe. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the operations and attributes of the outpatient diseases (OPD) surveillance system in the City of Bulawayo. DESIGN: Cross sectional and descriptive study. The system’s attributes were evaluated using Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) evaluation guidelines. We also held focus group discussions with health personnel regarding the use of collected data. SETTING: 6 of 17 health care clinics in Bulawayo, the second largest city in Zimbabwe. SUBJECTS: 34 health personnel were interviewed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Knowledge of the system’s operations, and attributes of the system. RESULTS: Data providers interviewed and all those who participated in Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) had good knowledge of the system’s operations. The system is complex. It reports on 94 health events, of which only six (6%) have standard case definitions. All 17 cli
