New Article Identifies Gaps and Opportunities in Ugandan Health System Using iHRIS Software
Last month, Human Resources for Health published “Tracking and monitoring the health workforce: A new human resources information system (HRIS) in Uganda,” which identifies trends and gaps in the Ugandan health worker training system.
The analysis is based on data from the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Council’s electronic human resources information system, iHRIS Qualify. iHRIS Qualify is Open Source software that tracks health worker certification and licensure information. It is part of the iHRIS Suite, which was developed by the IntraHealth International-led Capacity Project and continues to be used and improved by subsequent IntraHealth-led projects such as CapacityPlus. The article was coauthored by Julie Spero, Dr. Pamela McQuide, and Rita Matte, IntraHealth staff.
The authors used the newly installed iHRIS system to generate and analyze data on the number of people who entered nursing training programs from 1970-2006 and how many of them graduated, registered, and obtained a license to practice. They also looked at the types of trainings students received and compared institutions’ graduation rates. The authors used these data to identify important gaps in the training system, such as low rates of training completion, registration, and licensure. The authors also suggest that decision-makers can use the data to identify successful training programs and examine why these programs graduate a higher percentage of students. They can also determine training needs and gaps within districts, which can inform preservice training recruitment strategies and policies.
In addition to the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Council, the three other Ugandan professional health councils have implemented iHRIS Qualify to make data on health workers’ skills and credentials readily accessible. Aggregated data from the councils have been used to inform Uganda’s human resources for health strategic plan and to advocate for more funding for health worker training.
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Photo by Carol Bales. (Uganda Nurses and Midwives Council)
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