Low Routine Health Information Utilization and Associated Factors Among Health Workers in Public Health Institutions of Illubabor Zone, Western Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Routine Health Information system is a system that routinely collects, aggregates, and analyzes health services data that are obtained from health institutions. District and facility staff rarely used routine data to identify performance gaps, make plans, and monitor progress. Evidence based practice is a key tool to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of healthcare providers worldwide. Although using routine health facility data at all levels of the health system is vital, it is not as practiced as intended in developing countries including Ethiopia. Objective: To assess the magnitude of Routine Health Information Low Utilization from Health Management Information System and identify associated factors among health workers in the public health institutions of Illubabor zone, Western Ethiopia. Methods: Cross-sectional study design was used. Multistage sampling strategy with a random sampling and purposive sampling techniques were used to select study participants. In the first stage, seven Woredas were randomly selected from the zone and all health centers in the selected Woredas were included. All hospitals were included purposefully and one health post was selected randomly from sampled health centers. A total of 455 health workers were randomly selected from seven Woredas, health centers under it, health posts, hospitals and zonal health department. We sampled 8 health workers per health center, 1 health extension worker per health post, 18 health workers per Woreda health office, 50 health workers per hospital, and 22 health workers from zonal health department. A structured questionnaire adapted from the Performance of Routine Information System Management (PRISM) framework was used to collect data. Bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with information utilization. Odds ratio along with 95% confidence interval were used to measure yhe strength of the association and P-value<0.05 were used to declare the level of statistical significance. Results: Information utilization of the Illubabor zone was 63 %, and 74 % with 95% confidence interval respectively for health workers and health extension workers. Good knowledge on routine health information (AOR=3.97, 95% CI: 2.33, 6.73), good organization information culture use promotion (AOR=10.04, 95% CI: 5.79, 17.44), No training (AOR 0.17, 95% CI:0.06,0.51), female Sex (AOR= 0.44, 95 % CI: 0.25, 0.77) and facility type (woreda health office) (AOR=0.29, 95%CI: 0.12, 0.36) were significantly associated with routine health information utilization of health workers. Conclusion: The overall utilization of routine health information was moderatoly similar to planned national targets. All concerned bodies have to make joint effort to increase knwoledge, improve organization information use culture and train health workers.