Health Management Information System for Decision-Making in Nigeria: Challenges and Resolutions

Health Information System (HIS) refers to any organized effort to systematically collect, maintain and disseminate data relevant to the performance of a health system or any of its component parts. As such, any health system has potentially many health applications functioning within it. Not only are the health challenges facing developing countries (Nigeria) enormous, the health systems that addresses those challenges are struggling with limited resources, capability, technology etc. The need to find ways to strengthen health systems overall is therefore vital. The use and knowledge of HIS in Nigeria hospitals is still below what it should be. As technology seem to be advancing each day, information generation behind the health sector seem not to. Applications of IT in health are so rampant now, making it easier to treat patients and manage information about them. Information is critical in making health-related decisions. The Health Management Information System (HMIS) aims at developing a culture of information use amongst health care workers through the development of knowledge and skills in data handling in order to create locally relevant information for use in the management of district level health and service programs. HMIS does not inform policy alone but also improve care at the point of service. It involves better information management tools at the local level, data capture through routine business operations, identification of the minimum essential data sets, growth of specialized technology and providers. Etc. Challenges and reasons for the failure of HIS in Nigeria will be discussed. This study will look at one of the software tools used in health care analysis of data and how it is used for decision-making. In addition, it will look at measures that need to be set in place for HMIS to achieve its goal.