Towards a maturity model for the assessment of data management of healthcare entities in developing countries

Date
2021-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study focused on healthcare data management in developing countries.Data management is important for good healthcare service delivery. Data helps management with decision-making based on facts and helps care delivery to patients considering historical data. Health indicators can also be collected for population health surveillance. But for data to be of beneficial use in the health sector, it needs to be accurate, consistent, available and secured. The health sector in developing countries faces many data management challenges and struggles to provide patients with efficient and cost-effective care.These data management challenges span the whole scope of the healthcare data value chain. In healthcare, there are ample challenges with: (i) dataintegration; (ii) human factors; (iii) data collection; (iv) data security; (v)data quality; (vi) infrastructure and technology; (vii) data transmission; (viii)the implementation of systems; (ix) data retrieval; and (x) data governance.Improving the management of healthcare data can lead to improved health-care service delivery. To improve healthcare data management effectively, it is important to determine which components to focus on. Therefore, the aim of the study was to develop a maturity model that assesses the as-is state of a healthcare delivery entity’s data management across the whole healthcare data value chain, which then identifies the areas of improvement. Maturity models are designed to assess the maturity of a selected domain based on a set of criteria. They are artefacts that determine the status quoof the capabilities of an organisation and derive measures to improve from there.The basic purpose of maturity models is to outline the maturity levels that can be used to make maturity assessments. This includes the description of the characteristics of each level and the logical relationship between levels.Therefore, this study investigated the use of a maturity model as a suit-able research product to assess the healthcare data management in developing countries. To this end, a customised tool called the Healthcare Data Management Maturity Model (HCDMMM) was developed to assess data management of healthcare delivery entities in developing countries, including hospitals and clinics at the facility level, and the headquarters at the organisational level.Both facility and organisational levels were included in the study to address data management challenges across the whole data management system in healthcare. Throughout the development process of the HCDMMM, the structure and components were verified for their theoretical soundness. After the development process, it was further verified against the specified requirements for the proposed solution. The HCDMMM was also validated to ascertain whether it is useful to its intended users by evaluating it against the dimensions of applicability, practicability, usability, and determining strengths and weaknesses
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie handel oor gesondheidsorgdatabestuur in ontwikkelende lande wat vir goeie gesondheidsorgdienslewering belangrik is. Data help bestuurslede met feitegegronde besluitneming en ondersteun die voorsiening van gesondheidsorg aan die hand van historiese tendense. Gesondheidsaanwysers kan ook ingesamel word om populasiegesondheid te moniteer. Data kan egter slegs van nut wees vir die gesondheidsektor indien dit akkuraat, konsekwent, beskikbaar en beskerm is. Die gesondheidsektor in ontwikkelende lande word deur etlike databestuursuitdagings in die gesig gestaar, en sukkel om doeltreffende en koste-effektiewe sorg aan pasiënte te voorsien. Hierdie databestuursuitdagings strek oor die volle spektrum van die gesondheidsorgdatawaardeketting. Op gesondheidsorggebied is daar heelwat uitdagings met (i) data-integrasie, (ii) menslike faktore, (iii) data-insameling, (iv) datasekuriteit, (v) datagehalte, (vi) infrastruktuur en tegnologie, (vii) dataoordrag, (viii) stelselsimplementering, (ix) dataherwinning, en (x) databestuur. ’n Verbetering in gesondheidsorgdatabestuur kan ook beter gesondheidsorgdienslewering teweegbring. Om gesondheidsorgdatabestuur doeltreffend te verbeter, is dit belangrik om te bepaal presies watter komponente aandag moet ontvang. Vir dié doel ontwikkel hierdie studie ’n volwassenheidsmodel wat die huidige stand van ’n gesondheidsorgentiteit se databestuur oor die hele gesondheidsorgdatawaardeketting beoordeel, wat dan gebiede vir verbetering aan die lig bring. Volwassenheidsmodelle word ontwerp om die volwassenheid van ’n bepaalde domein op grond van ’n stel kriteria te bepaal. Dié modelle is instrumente wat die status quo van ’n organisasie se vermoëns bepaal en op grond dáárvan dan maatreëls vir verbetering identifiseer. Die hoofdoel van volwassenheidsmodelle is om deur volwassenheidsvlakke volwassenheidsbeoordelings te onderneem. Dít sluit in die beskrywing van die eienskappe van elke vlak en die logiese verwantskap tussen vlakke. Hierdie studie ondersoek dus die gebruik van ’n volwassenheidsmodel as ’n geskikte navorsingsproduk om gesondheidsorgdatabestuur in ontwikkelende lande te beoordeel. Hiervoor word ’n pasgemaakte instrument genaamd die Volwassenheidsmodel vir Gesondheidsorgdatabestuur (oftewel “Healthcare Data Management Maturity Model” (HCDMMM)) ontwikkel om die databestuur van gesondheidsorgentiteite in ontwikkelende lande, waaronder hospitale en klinieke op fasiliteitsvlak, en hoofkantore op organisasievlak, te evalueer. Sowel die fasiliteits- as organisasievlak word by die studie ingesluit om die databestuursuitdagings oor die hele databestuurstelsel van gesondheidsorg die hoof te bied. Die struktuur en komponente van die HCDMMM is deur die hele ontwikkelingsproses vir teoretiese korrektheid nagegaan. Boonop is dit ná die ontwikkelingsproses verder gestaaf aan die hand van die bepaalde vereistes waaraan die voorgestelde oplossing moet voldoen. Daarbenewens is die nut van die HCDMMM vir die beoogde gebruiker bevestig deur die toepaslikheid, uitvoerbaarheid en bruikbaarheid daarvan te evalueer en die sterkpunte sowel as swakpunte van die model te bepaal.
Description
Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
Keywords
UCTD, Health services administration, Healthcare -- Databases -- Management, Developing countries, Public health surveillance
Citation