Human Resources Information Systems: HRIS for Health in Low-Resource Settings Carl Leitner, PhD – Open Source Developer– CapacityPlus, IntraHealth International, Inc OSCON 2010 Portland, Oregon– July 21, 2010

A word from our sponsor... USAID Projects responding to HRH crisis Capacity Project Five year global project Partnership: IntraHealth (lead), Jhpiego, IMA, LATH, MSH, PATH,TRG Ended in Fall of 2009 Various Bi-laterals CapacityPlus Five year global project, Leader with Associate award Partnership: IntraHealth (lead), Abt, IMA, LATH, TRG Associates: CESAG, PPD, APHRC, AAAH

HRIS Systems Strengthening Countries

Low-Resourced Settings: Implementation Challenges Why its exciting to work in global public health Limited Finances Hardware & Software IT Personnel ($500/month for IT at Ministry of Health) Poor Infrastructure Limited and Intermittent electricity grid Internet access Many opportunities to provide substantial improvement

Goal: High Quality Health Worker Data Uses of Good Data Education and Training Make sound decisions about education and training, quantity and type Registration Ensure qualified supply Deployment Meet needs demanded of health system Management Track movement of personnel Planning Ensure for the future that the right person, with the right skills, is in the right place, at the right time

Solution: Using a Routine HRIS Challenges with data…. Data may exist, but may be in paper form may be held by different agencies and departments may be out of date or inaccurate may not be standardize Makes it very difficult to work with and use …which can be addressed by a Routine HRIS Day-to-day use of data increases value, quality and ownership Better answer your HRH policy and management questions Designed to ensure high quality data Turn data into information

HRIS Strengthening Approach Strategy for Routine HRIS Part of broader Systems Strengthening Emphasis on Capacity Building Adaptability in-country ● Money in the right place Maximal Interoperability Now and in the future Maximal Usability Simple, familiar interface Clear online and paper documentation Disciplined Usability Testing

HRIS Strengthening Approach iHRIS as a Routine HRIS ● iHRIS Manage, Plan and Qualify ● Free/Open-Source Software Adaptable in country to country needs International development and support community Development for one country or application made available to all Italian, French, Portuguese, Swahili Web-Based Maximum utility, access and compatibility Familiar interface LAMP

In other words.... We change this Into this

Uganda Nursing Council iHRIS Qualify In Rita's words...

Lessons Learned HRIS solutions should be designed to meet country-specific needs. One size does not fit all. Progress at a gradual pace will allow for gradual adaptation, without overwhelming the current system. Systems Strengthening takes time. HRIS stakeholder involvement is essential in encouraging information exchange and improving the overall utility of the HRIS. Capacity building at all levels is critical in ensuring that the HRIS adds value and remains sustainable.

Recommendations Need to turn data into information The highest-quality data is meaningless if it isn’t used to improve health. Just because you can collect it, does not mean you should. Don’t do systems strengthening from outside a country Capacity must be built at all levels from the global to the local. Work with districts and regions, not just within capitol. No single group can do all the programming or meet all the needs. Regional collaboration is critical. Design systems to minimize ICT burden. HRIS doesn’t exist in a vacuum. All of the above applies to all components of health information systems. Success will only come through alignment and interoperability with other HIS strengthening efforts.

Ten HIS Domains from Health Metrics Network (WHO) Infrastructure Resources Financial Resources Human Resource For Health Knowledge and Information Services Management and Planning Community Based Services Facility Based Services Diagnostic Services Environ-mental Services Supply Chain

Interoperability and Collaboration SDMX-HD XML-based data exchange format Statistical and meta-data in the health domain Use to communicate across HIS components PHIT – Public Health Information Toolkit Open Source Health Information Systems bundled together IHRIS, openMRS, DHIS2 A few unconferences East Africa Regional ICT Capacity Building REACH-Informatics and Intrahealth/CapacityPlus: Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya July 27-29, 2010 West Africa HIS Interoperability and Training WAHO, WHO, and Kofi Annan Centre Accra, Ghana September 20-24, 2010

Get Involved Health Informatics Building Blocks (HIBBs) Intrahealth OPEN Brining open source solutions to health workers More unconferences Global health fellowships Coded-In-Country iHRIS Hosted at: Wiki at: Blog at: To-Do: