Data Collect in Benin: near real-time service availability and readiness data
In early 2016, Benin’s Ministry of Health scaled up its Results-Based Financing (RBF) system. This move has ensured that all health care providers (all public, most faith-based, some private) are surveyed quarterly to externally assess service availability and quality of care. To aid Benin’s government, Bluesquare has been providing strategic support to their RBF data system.
Constantly working to improve our data systems, in September 2016, Bluesquare connected the RBF platform to DHIS2. We furthermore managed the full migration of all RBF data collection to mobile devices through the use of Data Collect.
Next, in November, we piloted RBF quality of care data collection in 50 health care facilities across Benin. This quality of care measurement was carried out by a mix of district teams and external agencies contracted by the government. Through this process, the Ministry of Health was able to start collecting granular data on routine service availability and readiness that have been externally verified, and quality of care data. Through Bluesquare Data Collect app, all indicators in Benin’s quality of care checklist are now digitized. Moreover, they can easily be sent to both OpenRBF for payment, and to the national DHIS2 platform for monitoring and evaluation purposes. Starting in January 2017, this digitization will be scaled up to the entire country.
This digitization process will generate data of high value for any program interested in routine service availability and readiness. For example, the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) program will be able to monitor vaccine stockouts, control how cold chains and immunization practices are operating in every health care facility, every quarter.
This screenshot shows the immunization dimension of the quality of care evaluation. By using mobile devices, the granular data of this checklist can now be collected and shared with the DHIS2 platform.
The data is then made available to the EPI program through the DHIS2 platform. This way, anyone can track vaccine stockouts in the health care facilities.
Follow our blog for updates on the progress of the scale-up. If positive, we believe that it will show that systematic routine service availability and readiness measurement can be carried out and serve multiple programs that require the same data. For example, the EPI, HIV or mother and child health programs.
We’re excited to explore these next steps, stay tuned for more news!
Written by Nicolas de Borman, Founder and CEO of BlueSquare. Find him on LinkedIn here and Twitter here.
