2017 ICT4D Conference

Accurate, timely and complete data are increasingly seen by national health programs, donors, and other stakeholders as a vital components for effective decision making, project management, and resource allocation. RTI International’s Global Health Division has developed a new conceptual framework that can be used as a tool for analyzing and understanding the role that data flow plays in health programs and as part of the larger health system, for identifying gaps to be addressed, and determining if, and how, information and communications technology, can play a role in addressing those gaps. RTI has validated this conceptual framework tool in a number of international settings using neglected tropical disease (NTD) and nutrition programs as initial use cases, with plans to use the tool for other health areas including HIV and AIDS, malaria, and maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH).

Using and continually refining its data analysis conceptual framework, RTI has conducted comprehensive data system assessments in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Nigeria. The framework serves as an effective lens for understanding and organizing the health data environment, combining components of existing analytical frameworks used in health with tools typically used for business analysis and technology development, including business process mapping, value chain analysis, problem statements, user stories, and requirements development. It also serves as a tool for determining if and how ICT can play a role in data collection, management, and utilization. In this presentation we will walk through the conceptual framework and demonstrate how this framework serves as a useful tool that can be adapted for any health area to evaluate data and data systems, identify gaps along the data value chain, and the role, if any, that ICT can play.