Retracing The Steps: A Guide To Undertaking Economic Evaluation On project Interventions

Fellow's Name: 

Shadrack Owando

Fellow's Track: 

Health Economics

Fellows Cohort: 

First Cohort

In evaluating its programs, AMREF has so far thrived on a three-tier non economic system of evaluation comprising of baseline, mid-term and end-term project assessments. These evaluation reports have been relied on in guiding management decisions on project performance as spelt out in the organization’s draft M & E framework of 2010 - 2017.
From economic perspective however, the assessments have had their share of limitations as the net benefits of the projects are not comprehensively captured. For instance, the inability of such assessments to capture the non-market costs has led to inadequate conclusions in reporting. To bridge the gap, the introduced an economic technique to the existing evaluation system by developing a guide for the undertaking cost benefit analysis.
The guide aimed at enhancing management decisions through comprehensive evaluation of project interventions.
The development of the guide was based on participatory methods in order to ensure stakeholders’ involvement. That way, the project would be able to tap into the experiences and lessons learnt in the evaluation of other past interventions, in addition to fostering ownership of the resultant guide. The expected primary audiences of the guide are usually program managers, especially in the health sector. Project leaders, M&E officers and co-coordinators, and other non-governmental organizations working on health related programs are also targeted. Through the use of evaluation tools in this guide, it is hoped that project staff and other stakeholders are able to collect and produce data or verify results that can be used for public relations and promotion of project achievements.

A Mobile Based Electronic Medical Records System To Improve HIV Prevalence Estimates Among Most At Risk Populations In The Coast Region, Kenya

Fellow's Name: 

Stephen Omondi

Fellows Track: 

Health Informatics

Fellows Cohort: 

First Cohort 

 

Kenya has a severe, generalized HIV epidemic, but in recent years, the country has experienced a notable decline in HIV prevalence, attributed in part to significant behavioral change and increased access to ART (FHI, 2010a). Kenya has a large number of qualified, unemployed health care workers. The key to success will be developing effective mechanisms to engage these trained staff. In addition, efforts to employ auxiliary staff, such as adherence counselors and outreach workers, are a high priority.
In the Coast region this epidemic seems to be aggravated by the concentration of tourist destinations, the illicit drug problem and the lack of formal employment avenues. Young Kenyans get into prostitution and drug abuse as a result of desperation and the massive gap between the rich and the poor.
This project aims at improving HIV prevalence estimates among Most at Risk Populations (MARPS) in the Coast Region, Kenya by linking the existing Health Management Information System to a mobile based Electronic Medical Records system and also redesign it so that it can speedily generate reports. The MARPs indicators vary slightly from region to region and therefore the project extensively use existing documentation to accurately identify the indicators necessary to estimate prevalence.
The indicators identified are then designed into a form that is the basis of a web based electronic medical records (EMR) system that captures information using Nokia Data Gathering (NDG) software running on cell phones . The cell phones are remotely linked to a database which is hosted  by a secure and versatile server.
The use of cell phones and NDG aimed at circumventing the inherent problems that are associated with paper based systems while at the same time breaking down barriers that are location dependent.

Records And Pharmacy Systems Integration And Expansion With GIS For Thika Level 5 Health Facility Comprehensive Care Clinic

Fellow's Name: 

Wilfrida Momanyi

Fellows Track: 

Health Informatics

Fellows Cohort: 

First Cohort 

 

Health care is an information exchange business where clinicians collect data on patients (history and physical examination) record all these data and transmit it to various departments of care.  This information is necessary to provide and manage healthcare at all levels ranging from individual patients to systems within the health sector.  The efficiency and effectiveness of any health system at all these levels is dependent on accurate and timely data.  In developing countries, electronic medical records (EMRs) are becoming a necessary component for efficient collection, storage and retrieval of patient medical information of many illnesses including   the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). 
The number of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) receiving Anti-retroviral Therapy (ART) in Kenya is growing at an alarming rate (KAIS, 2007).  This growth has an impact on the weak health systems and the transition from paper-based to EMRs (B. Mamlin et al, 2006).
In Kenya, many health facilities in the public sector depend on weak paper-based storage and retrieval systems mainly due to the slow uptake of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and massive implementation of disparate health information systems. 
One main disadvantage of managing PLHIV on ART on disparate health systems is that some vital information such as weights, heights, BMI (for adults) and CD4% that need to be monitored regularly can easily escape the attention of the clinicians if the patient visits one section because the systems do not share information.  This information is necessary for efficient patient monitoring in order to improve clinical management and program intervention among PLHIV.  In order to efficiently and effectively collect, store, analyze and disseminate health information, linking existing disparate health information systems is vital.