Health Manager’s HIS Training needs forum report

The forum was organized by the Division of Health Information Systems with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the AfyaInfo project. The program aimed to strengthen the Management of the National Health Information System in Kenya, establishing a strong, unified, and integrated web-based system that generates quality data for evidence-based decision making. The objectives of the forum were to sensitize Health Managers on Health Information Systems, discuss their roles in strengthening Health Information Systems, identify their information and training needs for evidence-based management, and obtain key information for the development of a standard health curriculum for Health Managers on Health Information Management. The forum was attended by Health Managers from various levels of the health sector, who were asked to reflect on their training needs and provide information on four key areas: the decisions they need to make, the information/data they need to make these decisions, obstacles they experience in accessing/using the information/data, and the skills/capacities required for decision making. The Health Managers identified various decisions they need to make, including where to put resources, what to plan for, budgets at various levels, supervisory decisions, and capacity building. They also identified the sources of information they use to make these decisions, including finance, human resources, commodities, infrastructure, quality of services, disaster management, and information management. However, they also highlighted various obstacles they experience in accessing and using the information/data, including connectivity issues, missing data, inadequate reports, inadequate technological know-how, and inadequate human capacity. The Health Managers emphasized the need for training in data analysis, data manipulation, displaying data using graphics, and data interpretation. They also highlighted the need for a culture of information use and the importance of developing a National curriculum for Health Managers on information management and the use of evidence-based practices. The forum provided a platform for Health Managers to share their experiences and identify their training needs, which will inform the development of a standard health curriculum for Health Managers on Health Information Management. The Health Information System in Kenya has made significant progress in recent years, with the development of a robust Monitoring and Evaluation framework, the standardization of the system, and the institutionalization of data capture systems. However, there are still challenges in accessing and using the information/data, including connectivity issues, missing data, and inadequate reports. The Health Managers emphasized the need for a strong and integrated National Health Information System that generates quality data for evidence-based decision making. The program aims to establish a functional learning and knowledge management system that improves the culture of information generation, knowledge capturing, and information use at all levels of management. The Health Managers identified the need for training in data analysis, data manipulation, displaying data using graphics, and data interpretation, as well as the need for a culture of information use. The development of a National curriculum for Health Managers on information management and the use of evidence-based practices is essential to address these challenges and improve the health sector's performance. The Health Managers also emphasized the need for a strong and integrated National Health Information System that generates quality data for evidence-based decision making. They highlighted the importance of developing a National curriculum for Health Managers on information management and the use of evidence-based practices, as well as the need for training in data analysis, data manipulation, displaying data using graphics, and data interpretation. The program aims to address these challenges and improve the health sector's performance by establishing a functional learning and knowledge management system that improves the culture of information generation, knowledge capturing, and information use at all levels of management.