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Redesigning health information systems in developing countries: The need for local flexibility and distributed control

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dc.creator Kimaro, Honest C.
dc.creator Mengiste, Shegaw
dc.creator Aanestad, Margunn
dc.date 2016-05-06T06:31:28Z
dc.date 2016-05-06T06:31:28Z
dc.date 2008-01-29
dc.date.accessioned 2018-03-27T08:52:39Z
dc.date.available 2018-03-27T08:52:39Z
dc.identifier Kimaro, H., Mengiste, S., & Aanestad, M. (2008). Redesigning health information systems in developing countries: the need for local flexibility and distributed control. Public Admin. Dev., 28(1), 18-29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pad.473
dc.identifier 1099-162X
dc.identifier http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11810/1857
dc.identifier 10.1002/pad.473
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11810/1857
dc.description Despite widespread aims to strengthen the Health Information System (HIS) as a tool for decentralised health care, there is a strong tendency in most developing countries that the HIS continues to reflect the central level's needs and requirements. The traditional design approach with little or no end user involvement results in a centralised HIS with an extensive, somewhat inappropriate, but also inflexible set of standards. Consequently, the HIS is not very useful for the wished-for decentralisation of health services, and there is an urgent need to redesign the existing HIS in order to make it locally relevant and appropriately decentralised. Based on a comparative case analysis of the HIS in Tanzania and Ethiopia, we offer practical recommendations on the way to achieve this redesign. A central design goal should be to achieve a balance between centralised control and local autonomy. Some degree of control over a decentralised HIS, including budgets and the use of resources, should be delegated to the district administration. In order to achieve the aim of a locally relevant, well-working HIS, it is necessary that appropriate authority, capacity and decentralised allocation of resources for HIS will be developed at the district and sub-district levels.
dc.language en
dc.publisher Wiley Online Library
dc.subject Health Information System
dc.subject Flexibility
dc.subject Distributed control
dc.subject Decentralisation
dc.subject Tanzania
dc.subject Ethiopia
dc.title Redesigning health information systems in developing countries: The need for local flexibility and distributed control
dc.type Journal Article, Peer Reviewed


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