Prototype Community Health Information Retrieval System For Jimma Zone A Case Study Of Jimma Institute Of Health Sciences.

For the enhancement of the economic development of a country, healthy and productivernhuman resources are extremely needed. People should get adequate health care services tornenable them to lead productive and meaningful life. In a third world country like Ethiopia,rnalthough many of the prevailing health problems are potentially preventable through thernprovision of appropriate primary health care services, the deteriorating health care service hasrnmade it difficult to control the existing health problems. One of the factors that is responsiblernfor the deteriorating health care service is the absence of accurate, relevant and timely healthrninformation.rnIn Ethiopia, the health information flows from regions to the center. At the regional level, thernsource of health information is the health facilities-based recording system. This form ofrninformation has failed to show the true picture of the health status of the people of therncountry. The other sources of health information such as community-based health informationrnsystem and special studies have not been strengthened. Currently, Jimma Institute of HealthrnSciences has shown an endeavor to establish community-based health information systemrnthrough its community-oriented/based educational program. This educational program isrnconducted in the actual or simi lar communities where students will serve after graduation. Inrnthis educational program, among other things, students gather health and health related datarnfrom both rural and urban communities in Jimma zone.rnThe main objective of collecting such data is to integrate training, research, and health carernservices. However, this information has not been effectively used for the stated objectivernbeyond the immediate academic exercises that students undertake. Piles of data collectingrnforms containing continuity health data collected for the past fourteen years are found in therndata processing unit of the community-based educational program coordinating office.rnAlthough some efforts have recently been witnessed to enter the data into a computer, thernconversion process had been undertaken before proper investigation was carried out.rnThe main purpose of this study is to analyze the existing system and propose the design andrndevelopment of appropriate computer-based information system. To this end, an effort has been made to understand what is being carried out by the current information system andrnidentify the requirements of the improved system using different fact finding instruments.rnSpecifically, facts were gathered through questionnaire, interview, discussions, documentrnanalysis and through criticallyrn observing the activities of the existing data processing unit.rnThe findings of the survey reveals that the overall usage of the community health information is so minimal. Only 35.6%rnof the total respondents have used the data.rn• users are less satisfied with existing system.73.3% of the total respondents recommended change in the existing informationrnsystem.rn• duplicate and redundant files were identified in the existing system.rn• the absence of standardized data collection formats have seriously affected the datarnstorage, processing, and output generation.rn• Poorly organized community health information system is currently in place.rnThe analysis of the facts collected has fac ilitated the identification of users requirements andrndatabases to be designed and implemented. Based on the response of users, among thernidentified databases, detailed analysis and design of the socio- demographic database havernbeen carried out. Conceptual data modeling techniques such as Entity Relationship Modelingrnand Relational Data Analys is have been employed to identify entities and to undertakernanalysis.rnFurthermore, to test the conceptual design and demonstrate how the improved system can bernimplemented, prototype databases and user interfaces are physically designed using MicrosoftrnAccess. Finally, recommendations are made for implementing the improved system andrnfurther studies to be carried out.

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