Utilization of health information data in Nairobi County public health facilities; lessons from the field

Background: The vital use of data and information for successful policy-making, planning, monitoring of operations, and decision-making is essential to the administration of today’s health systems. Vital health choices typically rely on political expediency, donor pressure, and rarely replicated countrywide studies that are insensitive to changes unfolding over shorter timescales because data utilization has been constrained and is inadequate. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional research study was conducted where quantitative technique was used for a minimum of 216 respondents. The results were presented in form of tables and charts. Results: The results show that access to routine data (p=0.0001), having a working computer (p=0.023), having access to the internet (p=0.030), having a high level of education (p=0.025), the gender of the health worker (p=0.010), the cadre (p=0.001), participating in data discussion forums (p=0.013), receiving training on data use (p=0.036), collecting data (p=0.041), analysing data (p=0.032), and data management (p=0.007) were substantially correlated with the use of health information data. Conclusions: The level of education, gender of the health worker, cadre, involvement in data discussion forums, training on data utilization, data collection, data analysis, data management, overall levels of competency, access to routine data, access to functional computer and access to internet significantly influenced the utilization of health information data.

The Introduction of Knowledge Management Technique in Aviation Safety Management

The causes of aviation accidents are not simple. Human error could possibly be caused by outside factors such as an environmental factor, laws and regulations, organizational, and national culture. An approach to an organizational factor on safety management and aircraft accident investigation is indispensable to improve aviation safety. Data collection from diversified sources is very important. Therefore, safety management focuses on safety inspections within the organization, and understanding the organization and employees' culture. Data from people who work in the aviation field must be merged with information technology to produce information and knowledge. Decision and policy making must be executed using knowledge-based aviation information. Policy makers must make it a priority to create an infrastructure for collecting data, transforming the data to information and the using information knowledge in amending aviation acts and regulations. The system that uses the infrastructure is composed of data collection from multi-channel, analysis and feedback to understand different culture organization-to-organization and country-to-country factors. Policy must be established and be enforced using this system to make it function positively. This study is a fundamental research to enhance aviation safety and to improve Korea's aviation acts and regulations.