IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF ROUTINE DATA
Date
2011-04-18
Authors
Govender, Jegenthiren
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
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Abstract
Hospital Management Teams are expected to make crucial decisions in the
short, medium and long term often based on questionable data. The integrity
of decision-making is hence compromised by poor quality information. This
report examines the interventions at a Public Hospital (GJ Crooke’s Hospital)
to improve the quality of routine health data by focusing on systems, staff
capacity and organisational culture.
The methodology used was largely a qualitative approach together with
simple elements of a quantitative approach in order to collect the required indepth
information from targeted informants. Document reviews and
observations augmented the information collected.
The study shows that, at GJ Crooke’s Hospital, strong organisational
information culture plays a major role in improving data quality, whilst partially
integrated systems are detrimental to the quality of data. Focussed capacity
building and the development, implementation and monitoring of a Data
Management Policy will contribute further to enhancing data quality at the
Hospital.
Description
MM - P&DM
Keywords
Data quality at hospitals, Hospital management teams