Perceptions on Data Quality, Use, and Management Following the Adoption of Tablet-Based Electronic Health Records: Results from a Pre-Post Survey with District Health Officers in Ghana.

PURPOSE

An electronic health record (EHR) system known as the e-Tracker was introduced in community health facilities in Ghana and numerous advantages were expected for clinical staff, as evidenced by previous literature. However, little is known about public health officials' views, specifically in low-resource settings. This study aimed to investigate the perceptions of district health officers on data quality, use, and management following the adoption of tablet-based electronic health records in Ghana.

METHODS

A pre- and post-survey was conducted in two regions of Ghana that adopted the e-Tracker for the entire districts during the early stages of the national rollout. Sociodemographic information, internet connection environment, and perceptions on data quality, use, and management were measured. McNemar's test and Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test were performed to identify changes in perceptions. Chi-square test and Mann-Whitney -test were used to find any statistical differences in demographic characteristics between the two regions.

RESULTS

Twenty-four out of 25 districts in Volta and 24 out of 26 districts in Eastern regions participated in both pre- and post-surveys, with a total of 73 participants. In terms of efficiency in data management, the district health officers reported reduced time commitment in data validation and aggregation. Within less than a year, however, no statistically significant improvement was found in data quality and the use of electronic data for relevant tasks.

CONCLUSION

A new EHR system in low-resource settings can rapidly improve efficiency in data management from the public health officials' perspectives. Further impact evaluation is warranted to assess the long-term effect of the EHR system.