Medical cause of death of burn victims in a hospital in northern Iraq : a challenge for the health management information system
Document type: mthesis
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Abstract:
PROBLEM STATEMENTS: Health Management Information Systems (HMIS) play a core part of Evidence Based Healthcare (EBH). Medical cause of death (MCoD) and Statistics of medical cause of death (SoMCoD) are core information obtained from HMIS. If the quality of information is poor, it poses problems for the development of health policy and strategy. OBJECTIVES: Assess the validity of MCoD/SoMCoD and explore factors that influence information quality produced by the HMIS of Sulaymaniyah Burn-Trauma Hospital (SBT-hp), Iraqi-Kurdistan. METHOD: Comparison of SoMCoD obtained from data recorded in SBT-hp Hospital Management Team (HMT) database and that obtained from reviewing medical records by the specialists. Review literature about factors that influence the quality of information and HMIS in low/middle income countries. FINDINGS & DISCUSSION: Difference in descriptions of MCoD is found between the hospital and expert reviewers as well as inaccuracy and inappropriateness of MCoD and SoMCoD. From a literature review several factors were identified that influence the quality of information: “inadequate appreciation of the value of data”, “Lack of guidelines”, “Lack of standard case definitions”, “Inability to achieve the needed concordance between efficiency/simplicity and sufficiency”, “Lack of community and key stake holders participation”, “Weakness in capacity to monitor & evaluation”, “Lack of capacity in analysis/interpretation of data/information”, “Weak feed back mechanism”, “Weak environment and support from the laboratory”, and “Shortage of trained personnel”. CONCLUSION: To better describe the MCoD of burn victims in this hospital, international form of medical certificate of cause of death should be use. For better treatment results, the diagnostic entity “volume overload” has priority over “septicaemia” as was indicated by hospital statistics. Development of a well functioning HMIS in SBT-hp is challenging task and a prerequisite for EBH.
Authors:
Hayashi, K.
Country:
Iraq
Category:
Research
Department:
Development Policy & Practice
Institute:
KIT (Royal Tropical Institute)
Keywords:
health
,
information services
Language:
eng
Organization:
KIT - Royal Tropical Institute
PAGE:
vii, 67
Year:
2009
Region:
Western Asia
Right:
© 2009 Hayashi
Subject:
Health and Nutrition
Title:
Medical cause of death of burn victims in a hospital in northern Iraq : a challenge for the health management information system
Training:
Master in International Health (MIH)