Using information for Effective Management in Health Care Services

We welcome you to the module Using Information for Effective Management in Health Care Services I.

About the Module

As with all the modules in the School of Public Health programme, the module is motivated by the desire to increase the effectiveness of the health care services in meeting the health needs of the population by equipping the providers with necessary skills and knowledge. There are different ways of going about meeting these needs; you will have encountered some of them in the other modules you are taking as part of the Public Health programme.

This module focuses on information and the role it can play in improving health care services. In particular, we will focus on the ways information can be used to increase effectiveness in managing health care services.

The FIVE units of this module cover various components of managerial effectiveness in managing health services using routine information.

Unit 1 discusses the health services context at district level and the information needs for managing health services at this level.
Unit 2 examines the processes of data management from the collection of data to processing it and converting it into information that may meet the needs of various users. Planning the process is discussed as well as ways to make sure that as few things go wrong as possible.
Unit 3 looks at how the information collected can be disseminated.
Unit 4 describes the use of information in management activities. The unit will cover interpreting information and using information.
The final unit – Unit 5 – is a very short unit consisting of only one session, but it is very intensive. This unit provides a framework for developing sound District Health Management Information Systems, which also serves as a guide for evaluating existing systems.

Links with other modules

Using information routinely and effectively in the management of health services is only one of the means for ensuring the delivery of health services of a high order. All the other modules in the SOPH Public Health programme promote this aim and

support this module. A few notable ones: the Health Management modules provide an excellent base for this module; the Monitoring and Evaluation module goes into depth on one of the key themes of this module, and of course, the Measuring Health and Disease and the Primary Health Care modules are the foundation for properly understanding and measuring public health systems.

Finding your way around the Module Introduction

The introductory pages which follow provide an overview of the Module and its outcomes, the assignment, as well as the support and assistance you can expect. Take the time to look through this section before you begin studying – taking particular note of the assignments and their requirements as well as the time pressure that you will face in completing a fairly demanding process in a short time.

Assessment

This module will be assessed through two assignments: you will find them in the Module Introduction. The due dates for the assignments will be provided by the Student Administrator.

Contact information

All the contact information that you may need is contained in the “SOPH Programme Handbook”. If your contact details have changed in any way, please send the Contact Details Update Form which you will find in that booklet to the Student Administrator straight away.

Evaluation of the module

We would like to know about your experience in studying this module, e.g., what was valuable to you and what needs to be improved. When you come to the end of the module, we will ask you to evaluate the module and give us feedback. We will send you an Evaluation Questionnaire at that time, and would value your co-operation.