Establishing the State of Practice about Data Standards in Monitoring Healthcare Interventions for HIV in Uganda’s EMR-based Health Information Systems

Abstract

Electronic Health Information Systems (EHIS) in Uganda are characterised by inaccessibility to reliable, timely and integrated data for effectively monitoring and tracking continuity of care for people living with HIV, exacerbated by disparate, fragmented EHIS in varying health system levels that are not interoperable and lack common data standards. In order for data to be comparable, there has to be uniformity in terms of standards that are employed in a uniform manner in all data management processes. In this study, we established the state of current practice regarding data and interoperability standards in monitoring and evaluating healthcare interventions for HIV in Uganda’s EMR-based health information systems. The study findings indicate that there are scanty practices and/or implementation of the eHealth standards (data and interoperability), and limited to noncompliance of monitoring these standards in the implementation of the HIV healthcare interventions. Accordingly, our study recommendations point to the need of designing data and interoperability frameworks to provide for the specific set of standards, protocols, procedures, best practices and policies for eHealth standardisation in Uganda’s health system.