Influence of Health Logistics Management Information System On Availability of Medical Commodities in Public Hospitals in Kajiado County, Kenya

Abstract

The availability of necessary drugs in healthcare institutions, particularly hospitals, is critical in promoting population curative health and ensuring healthcare outcomes and goals are reached. Over 50 percent of Kajiado County's people live in rural areas and rely mostly on public health hospitals, which are deemed economical. However, the unavailability of vital drugs in such institutions causes treatment to be delayed, aggravating illness outcomes. This hampered access to health-care services. The goal of this study is to determine how the health logistics management information system influences the availability of medical commodities. The study specifically aimed to establish the influence of demand forecasting systems, inventory management systems, order process management systems information flow management systems on the availability of medical commodities in public hospitals. The process theory was adopted to inform the study. A descriptive cross-sectional survey research approach was used in this study. The public level four and five hospitals in County's pharmacy store managers, pharmacists, pharm technologists, procurement officers, laboratory technicians, and pharmacy dispensing personnel were the study's target population. From a target population of 397, a sample size of 112 was chosen using basic random methods and stratified random sampling. The study used quantitative data, which were coded, processed, and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics in the Statistical Packages for Social Scientists (SPSS Version 26). Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between variables, logistic regression was employed to examine the effect of the independent variables on the dependent variable. The results confirmed that at both the bivariate level and in a combined set-up, demand forecasting systems, order process management systems, inventory management systems, and information flow management systems all have a positive relationship with the availability of medical commodities in public hospitals. To guarantee the availability of medical commodities, management ought to improve the demand forecasting system at healthcare facilities so that staff can figure out the quantities of commodities they will require. Additionally, management must enhance the inventory management system at healthcare facilities so that staff can manage the continuous and frequently overpowering influx of medical commodities, to promote the application of technology-based solutions in every aspect of the institution, management needs to enhance the information flow management system. Furthermore, management ought to make investments more in information sharing. Finally, to make sure there is availability of medical commodities, management must strengthen the information flow management system at the hospitals and begin to use technological order processing in their day-to-day operations.