Towards a Digital Health Information Framework For Management of Essential Medicine Supply Chain in Public Healthcare Facilities in Kenya

Abstract

A digitized health information system for managing the “essential medicine supply chain” is an electronic information system capable of electronically gathering data, processing, and disseminating information for decision-making in the supply chain process. Globally, Wales Slovenia, Scotland, Estonia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden have successfully developed digital health information systems capable of collecting, processing, and disseminating information across other information systems; however, gaps in the early realization of scarcity of essential medicine persist. Vital medicine stockouts in public healthcare facilities in Kenya persist due to incomplete, inaccurate, unreliable, and untimely information flow, poor information processing, insufficient ICT infrastructure, a lack of digitally literate personnel, and the absence of an e-health policy. These issues lead to delays in information sharing, decision-making, access to medicine, and service delivery. The study aimed to develop a “digital health information framework for managing the essential medicine supply chain” in Kenya’s public healthcare facilities. The development of a digital health framework was driven by the need to enhance the use of “digital health information” in managing the vital medicine supply chain as a measure to prevent essential medicine stockouts. The study utilized both quantitative and qualitative research methods, including individual and key informant interviews, in the Counties of Mombasa, Makueni and Kajiado from August to October 2023. To gather information from personnel involved in health information and medical products and supply chain,150 Healthcare Workers and 14 key informants (Medical Superintendents of Health, Procurement Officers, Health Records and Information Officers and Medical Stores Officers) from a sample frame of 437 health workers in 14 public hospitals. Data was analyzed both descriptively and by inferential statistics. From the multiple linear regression: (i) quality of “digitised health information has a significant influence” on the management of “essential medicine supply chain”; (ii) there is a significant relationship between the digitised health information processing strategy factor and the management of “essential medicine supply chain”; (iii) a “significant relationship exists between ICT infrastructure factor support for health information and management of “essential medicine supply chain”; (iv) there is a significant relationship between workforce skills and management of vital medicine supply chain. The results also showed that the digital health policy affects the relationship between the quality of digitised health information, the strategy for processing digitized health information, ICT infrastructure support, workforce skills, and the management of “essential medicine supply chain” in public healthcare facilities in the three counties. Findings revealed that most of the information available for making decisions regarding managing “essential medicine supply chain” in level 4 and 5 hospitals in Mombasa, Makueni and Kajiado counties is often untimely, incomplete, incorrect, and unreliable. The findings led to the development of a digital health information framework for managing “essential medicine supply chain” in public healthcare facilities in Kenya. The goal is to improve the timely management of “essential medicine supply chain,” increase essential medicine stock availability, and enhance overall healthcare service delivery.