Data Collection

Data and information Data –observations and measurements Processed data (information) –facts extracted from a set of data (interpreted data), –Data brought together to demonstrate facts –Meaningful and useful Knowledge –Information in context –actionable

42

42 / 60 = 70% Fully Immunized Children < 1y Where 60 is the target population

42 / 60 = 70% Fully Immunized Children < 1y For month May 2010 Organization Unit: Whatever With additional contextual insight / experience we may say something about the reliability of the data

Org.UnitFull Immunization Coverage for May 2010 Whatever70 Notsogood40 Verybad15 Superduper98 Spatial /organizational context

Month 2010Full Immunization Coverage for Whatever Jan43 Feb44 Mar70 Apr52 May64 Jun60 Jul54 Aug43 Sep47 Oct41 Temporal context

MUST KNOW The % of children under one year who are fully immunised Drop out rate DPT 1- 3; measles coverage Other programme vaccines given All doses given over 1 year; vaccine wastage rate; DPT2, polio 2; non-program vaccines

How do we process it? How do we present it? How do we use it? Reliable Information Information Cycle What do we collect?  Stages  Tools  Outputs data sources & tools Timely Quality data

Data collection WHO health care workers at all levels WHAT Essential Data Set WHEN daily – collated weekly & processed monthly WHERE outreach, facilities, districts HOW tally sheets, registers etc WHY monitor progress towards goals & targets plan new policies and changes evaluate current services assist health management processes

What data elements should be collected? Can provide useful information for action Cannot be obtained elsewhere Are easy to collect (cost vs usefulness) Do not require much additional work or time Can be collected relatively accurately Is part of one or more indicators  ESSENTIAL DATA SET based on indicators reflecting the health status of the community

Information focus at hierarchical levles Input (community) –Staff attendence, vaccines, to whom, when, where Process (district) –Vaccination of children Output (province) –Coverage of child immunization Outcome(national) –Immunization rates going up Impact (international) –Healthier children, less disease. Synergies

Essential data sets

What is collected? Only useful stuff? What did Johan tell us yesterday? What is the reality?

Sources of data? –Routine/non-routine At regular and irregular intervals –Institution-based/population based (HMN) Institution based (administrative and operational activities) e.g. health facilities Population based data on all individuals within defined populations - include total population counts (such as the census and civil registration) or household surveys

Where do we get data from? Routine data collection –Routine health unit and community data Activity data about patients seen and programmes run, routine services and epidemiological surveillance; e.g. Semi-permanent data about the population served, the facility itself and staff that run it –Civil registration (vital events being integrated with health e.g. India)

Where do we get data from? Non-routine data collection –Surveys –Population census (headcounts proportion/facility catchment’s area) –Quantitative or qualitative rapid assessment methods

Example: data collected at PHC facilities Special programme activities Reproductive health Child health & nutrition HIV/AIDS, STI and TB Chronic diseases Routine Service Activities Minor ailments Non-priority activities Epidemiological surveillance Notifiable diseases Environmental health Administrative Systems Infrastructure, equipment Human resources Drugs, transport, labs, finances, budget, staff Population Census: age, sex, place Births & deaths registration

Requirement for data collection Standardised definitions: –To ensure comparability between different facilities, districts and provinces –To ensure comparability across time Making improvements to a poor indicator /data set /data element in a reporting format may not be advisable due to cost of change and loss of backwards comparability

Main data collection tools A.Client Record Cards B.Tally Sheets C.Registers D.Surveys

A: Client record cards

Family planning consultation card

B: Tally sheets Easy way of counting identical events that do not have to be followed-up (e.g. headcounts, children weighed)

C: Registers Record data that need follow-up over long periods such as ANC, immunisation, FP, TB

D: Reports monthly, quarterly

Assessing data collection tools