The quality of routine data for measuring facility-based maternal mortality in public and private health facilities in Kampala City, Uganda

• Published in: Population health metrics 2024-08, Vol.22 (1), p.22-14
• Main Authors: Birabwa, Catherine, Banke-Thomas, Aduragbemi, Semaan, Aline, van Olmen, Josefien, Kananura, Rornald Muhumuza, Arinaitwe, Emma Sam, Waiswa, Peter, Beňová, Lenka
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Data Accuracy; Data quality; Delivery, Obstetric - mortality; Delivery, Obstetric - standards; Evaluation; Female; Health aspects; Health facilities; Health Facilities - standards; Health management information systems; Humans; Information management; Information systems; Maternal health; Maternal Health Services - standards; Maternal Mortality; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Mothers; Patient outcomes; Pregnancy; Private Facilities - standards; Private sector; Public sector; Routine health facility data; Statistics; Uganda - epidemiology; Urban health
• ISSN: 1478-7954; 1478-7954
• DOI: 10.1186/s12963-024-00343-z

Routine health facility data are an important source of health information in resource-limited settings. Regular quality assessments are necessary to improve the reliability of routine data for different purposes, including estimating facility-based maternal mortality. This study aimed to assess the quality of routine data on deliveries, livebirths and maternal deaths in Kampala City, Uganda. We reviewed routine health facility data from the district health information system (DHIS2) for 2016 to 2021. This time period included an upgrade of DHIS2, resulting in two datasets (2016-2019 and 2020-2021) that were managed separately. We analysed data for all facilities that reported at least one delivery in any of the six years, and for a subset of facilities designated to provide emergency obstetric care (EmOC). We adapted the World Health Organization data quality review framework to assess completeness and internal consistency of the three data elements, using 2019 and 2021 as reference years. Primary data were collected to verify reporting accuracy in four purposively selected EmOC facilities. Data were disaggregated by facility level and ownership. We included 255 facilities from 2016 to 2019 and 247 from 2020 to 2021; of which 30% were EmOC facilities. The overall completeness of data for deliveries and livebirths ranged between 53% and 55%, while it was