Assessment of Knowledge and Skills of Health Staff and Managers About Health Infoprmation Management

Background and objectives : The goal of health information system is to provide necessary data for decision-making in all levels of health system. For proper use of data, the managers and other staff must have sufficient knowledge and skills about analysis and using data. This study was designed and carried out to assess health staff knowledge and skills about health data management. Material and Methods : This study was performed as a descriptive and cross sectional survey in East Azerbaijan province in 2006. Three groups of managers and district health centers experts, physicians and primary health care providers and district health centers information experts were selected for studying their knowledge and skills in health information management. Data were gathered with self-administered questionnaire. A total number of 32 managers, 260 district staff and 346 primary health care providers were assessed. The staff were selected with multistage sampling. Data were analyzed with SPSS software. Results : According to the results, 41% of descriptive statistics questions and 52% of health indicators calculation questions were answered correctly by managers. These figures were 34% and 43% in health experts group, respectively. None of the health centers staff knew descriptive statistics and 22% of them could calculate health indicators correctly. Results indicated that 73% and 71% of data experts had enough knowledge about descriptive statistics and health indicators, respectively. Conclusion : For using information in daily decision-making, having enough skills about data management such as; sampling, analysis, data distribution methods, knowledge management and evidence-based decisions is necessary.