DATA MANAGEMENT PRACTICE AND ITS ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG HEALTH PROFESSIONALS WORKING AT PRIVATE HOSPITALS IN AMHARA REGION, NORTHWEST ETHIOPIA 2021.

Abstract

Abstract Background: data management practice is a process that focuses on the ability to gather, process data, reporting, interpret data, and display the results using the table or graphs. In Ethiopia, data management practices are very poor, especially in the private and primary health care facilities, and the key challenge facing private healthcare facilities on data management is that those health facilities are giving more emphasis on payment and financial assessment than on support for patient care and managing patient data. This decrease the attention to the data management activities. Data management is an important alarming area not only because of its use in promoting a high standard of patient care but also its impact on the health care budget for the maintenance of health care services. This research was carried out to identify the gaps and challenges of health data management practice of health professionals who work at private hospitals. Objective: This study aims to assess data management practice and associated factors among health professionals working at private hospitals in Amhara region, North West Ethiopia. Method: Institutional-based cross-sectional study design supplemented with a qualitative study was conducted in private hospitals of Amhara Region from March 4 up to April 4, 2021. Quantitative data were collected using a pretested self-administered questionnaire and an observational checklist. The pretest was done in the University of Gondar specialized hospital. The qualitative study was conducted by the In-depth interview technique. A total of 423 health professionals have participated in the study. Epi-data version 4.06 and STATA version 14 were used for data entry and analysis respectively. A bivariable and multivariable logistic regression model was fitted. Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit-test was used to check model fitness. AOR was used to describe the strength of association between the dependent and independent variables. P-value and CI were used to identify factors associated with the dependent variable. Result: A total of 423 questionnaires were distributed, 409 questionnaires were responded with response rate of 96.7 %. About 192 Conclusion and Recommendation: less than half of the study participants had good data management practice. Attitude, level of education, computer skill, and user-friendly reporting formats, training, and supervision were shown to have a statically significant association with data management practice. Efforts have to be made to give training for all health professionals about data management and basic computer skills to improve their attitude on data management as well. Keywords: Data Management Practice, Health Professionals, private Hospitals, Amhara region, Ethiopia.