An Assessment of the Information System of Out Patient Dental Clinics in Base Hospitals and Divisional Hospitals in a Selected Regional Director of Health Services Area in Sri Lanka

Background: Recording and reporting systems are part of the general health information system which forms the foundation for decision making. Therefore having a uniform recording and reporting system not only improves accuracy and timeliness of oral health information systems, but also facilitates decision making and planning of health services. Aim: This study was carried out to assess the information system which included the recording and reporting systems of the Out-Patient Dental Clinics (OPDC) in the Regional Director of Health Services (RDHS) area, Kalutara in Sri Lanka. Methodology: The research was carried out to assess the existing information system of the OPDC in 3 Base Hospitals and 10 Divisional Hospitals in the selected RDHS. Opinion of all the Dental Surgeons and Dental Surgery Assistants working in these institutions were obtained using interviewer administered questionnaires. Opinions of 4 key informants were obtained using a key informant interview guide. The quality of the patient register and the monthly return used was assessed by an observation check list. Results: The results showed incomplete registers, incomplete monthly returns, poor accuracy of registers (89%) and returns (84%). The timeliness of the monthly return was 78% and took an average duration of 72 days to reach the Medical Statistics Unit from a Dental Surgeon. The majority of both Dental Surgeons (83%) and Dental Surgery Assistants (57%) perceived dissatisfaction with the current information system. The key informants expressed the importance of having timely data but the current system resulted in delayed publications. Conclusion: The assessment found gaps in the system design, system delivery and system outcomes of the information system. The system design gaps were pertaining to incompleteness, poor accuracy and timeliness. The system delivery gaps showed dissatisfaction among the staff and the outcome gaps showed a link of poor design to poor outcomes which calls for an improvement of the information system following further studies in other types of dental clinics.