Background:
A key challenge during COVID 19 was a shift from the conventional ways of field visits to remote monitoring due to the restrictions on movement resulting from lockdown. This study explored how documentation and reporting process among trained providers in Nigeria under the IntegratE project was altered in response to the pandemic. This presentation will share project experience and highlight lessons learned on the adoption of virtual approach to ensure sustainable data quality service reporting by trained community pharmacists (CPs) and patent & proprietary medicine vendors (PPMVs) while leveraging on technology.
Methods:
Between June and September 2020, IntegratE conducted virtual data quality assessment (DQA) for 82 CPs and PPMVs in Lagos and Kaduna states. Service providers were requested to share scanned copies of their daily FP register, monthly summary forms, client cards, and referral registers. These records were reviewed for completion; triangulated for consistency and assessed for integrity. The assessment results and correction plans were shared with each provider to correct reporting gaps and update DHIS2. We also developed support videos that provided CPs and PPMVs with reminders on how to navigate DHIS2 and enter data using their phones.
Findings
Findings from the virtual DQA showed 89% average quality score in the domains of data availability, consistency and validity. 96 new providers were trained on the use of DHIS 2 using mobile videos. 247 providers were trained in a hybrid session on DMPA-SC self-injection documentation.
Conclusion
To build resilient and agile health systems that can endure future public health emergencies, robust health sector reforms should be initiated. A key lesson learned is that to meet with future demands of field activities, organizations need to restructure their training sessions to include remote technical skill literacy.
