PhD student in Information Systems and Innovation
Research Interests
Thesis: 'Information Systems for Improving Public Health in Developing Countries'
It is generally undisputed that relevant and reliable information forms the bedrock of any effective public health system. The centrality of health information systems (HIS) is argued in terms of appropriate health planning and intervention design. However, in developing countries, little study has been done to conceptualise the connection between HIS, health management and health status. As an initial step in designing a research project, I propose to explore the role HIS plays in the relationship between formal and informal health institutions as represented by decentralised primary health care and health seeking behaviour (HSB) respectively.
From the angle of formal health institutions, Bossert’s decision space and Mehortra’s deep democratic decentralisation provide a versatile framework for studying decentralised health care as consisting of both upward as well as downward accountability. HSB, on the other hand, illuminates: the dynamics of informal health institutions; the knowledge they embody; and how local communities engage with formal health institutions. This study therefore seeks to design a research project which will unpack how HIS serve the formally and informally defined health expediencies of local communities in developing countries.
The study holds important implications for implementation and evaluation of health information systems in developing countries.
Supervisor