Taylor Amelia, Liwewe Thokozani, Todd Jim, Kankhwali Chisomo, Mwale Anne, Kiwuwa-Muyingo Sylvia
Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi.
Lilongwe District Health Office, Lilongwe, Malawi.
Wellcome Open Res. 2024 Apr 24;9:217. doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.21131.1. eCollection 2024.
The completion of case-based surveillance forms was vital for case identification during COVID-19 surveillance in Malawi. Despite significant efforts, the resulting national data suffered from gaps and inconsistencies which affected its optimal usability. The objectives of this study were to investigate the processes of collecting and reporting COVID-19 data, to explore health workers' perceptions and understanding of the collection tools and processes, and to identify factors contributing to data quality.
A total of 75 healthcare professionals directly involved in COVID-19 data collection from the Malawi Ministry of Health in Lilongwe and Blantyre participated in Focus Group Discussions and In-Depth Interviews. We collected participants' views on the effectiveness of surveillance forms in collecting the intended data, as well as on the data collection processes and training needs. We used MAXQDA for thematic and document analysis.
Form design significantly influenced data quality and, together with challenges in applying case definitions, formed 44% of all issues raised. Concerns regarding processes used in data collection and training gaps comprised 49% of all the issues raised. Language issues (2%) and privacy, ethical, and cultural considerations (4%), although mentioned less frequently, offered compelling evidence for further review.
Our study highlights the integral connection between data quality and the design and utilization of data collection forms. While the forms were deemed to contain the most relevant fields, deficiencies in format, order of fields, and the absence of an addendum with guidelines, resulted in large gaps and errors. Form design needs to be reviewed so that it appropriately fits into the overall processes and systems that capture surveillance data. This study is the first of its kind in Malawi, offering an in-depth view of the perceptions and experiences of health professionals involved in disease surveillance on the tools and processes they use.
在马拉维进行新冠疫情监测期间，填写基于病例的监测表格对于病例识别至关重要。尽管付出了巨大努力，但由此产生的国家数据仍存在差距和不一致之处，影响了其最佳可用性。本研究的目的是调查新冠疫情数据的收集和报告过程，探讨卫生工作者对收集工具和过程的看法和理解，并确定影响数据质量的因素。
共有75名直接参与从利隆圭和布兰太尔的马拉维卫生部收集新冠疫情数据的医疗专业人员参加了焦点小组讨论和深入访谈。我们收集了参与者对监测表格在收集预期数据方面的有效性以及对数据收集过程和培训需求的看法。我们使用MAXQDA进行主题和文件分析。
表格设计对数据质量有重大影响，与应用病例定义方面的挑战一起，占所有提出问题的44%。对数据收集过程和培训差距的担忧占所有提出问题的49%。语言问题（2%）以及隐私、伦理和文化方面的考虑（4%），虽然提及频率较低，但提供了进一步审查的有力证据。
我们的研究强调了数据质量与数据收集表格的设计和使用之间的内在联系。虽然这些表格被认为包含了最相关的字段，但格式、字段顺序方面的缺陷以及缺少带有指南的附录，导致了很大的差距和错误。需要对表格设计进行审查，以便使其适当地融入捕获监测数据的整体流程和系统。这项研究是马拉维同类研究中的首例，深入了解了参与疾病监测的卫生专业人员对他们使用的工具和过程的看法和经验。
