Conducting Health Information and Digital Health Assessment for the Pacific

BACKGROUND

The Pacific countries have taken many essential steps forward in strengthening health information. According to 2016 regional assessment on health information in the Pacific, information reporting frequency and quality has been improved in general.  Several countries have established minimum set of core indicators and are producing regular summary reports such as monthly, quarterly and annual health bulletins. Moreover, PICs have also endorsed several important regional health information initiatives such as the Healthy Island Monitoring Framework (HIMF) in 2017 and the most recent Regional Action Agenda resolution on eHealth in 2018.  The purpose of the Regional Action Agenda on Harnessing EHealth in the Western Pacific is to guide Member States in using eHealth as a key enabler for strengthening health systems.  Specifically, the Action Agenda and the resolution sets out how to improve service delivery by using eHealth to transform how care is delivered and pave the way for sustainable health services.

There is a need to develop a standard method for small population/ island countries to measure HIS performance and health information management. However, it is also important to consider digital health and digitization of the health sector and information. The PICTs are still running hybrid electronic and paper-based systems. Therefore, an assessment of both methods is needed in the context of a workable and pragmatic digital health maturity framework for small populations. Ideally, the proposed assessment would have quantitative scores for comparability, qualitative descriptions, and specific but prescriptive high-level recommendations for countries based on the findings

A desk review of the existing data is necessary to understand how much data requires new collection and what already exists. For instance, a part of regional studies, many PICTs have done individual CRVS assessments and HIS assessments as part of the strategy and policy development. Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, and Fiji did the WHO SCORE assessment (basic HIS assessment at a high level). Additionally, there are many mission reports and mini-evaluations conducted to date.  The PHIN and BAG networks can be consulted for additional data. A more comprehensive understanding is needed on how information will be collected for both paper and digital HIS.

The Health Intelligence and Innovation unit of the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific in Manila, Philippines and the WHO Collaborating Centre for eHealth (AUS-135) at UNSW Sydney, Australia have jointly assessed essential digital health foundations (which included HIS) for 13 sovereign PICTs by co-creating the DHPMAT (Digital Health Profile and Maturity Assessment Toolkit). The DHPMAT, which was informed by the PICTs through the WHO DPS during conception, was introduced to members at the PHIN Meeting in July 2019 at Noumea, New Caledonia.

Following usability testing and refinement based on feedback from the country representatives and delegates at the PHIN Meeting, the DHPMAT is currently being packaged for delivery to the PICTs. obtaining information from the remaining 9 PICTs, the proposed HIS assessment would use the same methodology and update the assessment for the remaining PICTs based on current information. The contractor will receive in-kind support from the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office.

PURPOSE/SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE OF THE ACTIVITY

1. Develop/revise methodology on routine health information systems assessment to collect and analyse HIS focusing on HIS resources; financial and human resources; infrastructure; indicators; data sources; data management; data quality; and dissemination etc.
2. Present maturity scale and methodology for peer-review group for discussion and integrate comments if appropriate for the final methodology
3. Validate and update information for the existing country digital health profiles and expand the profiles and Maturity model to include Niue, Tokelau and CNMI.
4. Analysis in specific countries based on the information in the profiles and provide practical recommendations.
5. Conduct a regional-level analyses with combining digital health assessments and routine HIS assessment
6. Provide specific guidance to countries on how they can move to the desired level of digital health maturity
7. Develop two country examples of a HIS/digital health high-level investment concept note that can be used to solicit donor support and funding (2-pager based on the country profiles and country specific pragmatic recommendations).

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES TO BE CARRIED OUT

Output/s

Detailed scope of work includes:

A. Desktop review of current documents relevant to HIS

• •  Conduct analysis of routine health information and CRVS systems (to follow-up for 2016 assessment based on improved HIS Hub Rapid Assessment tool or equivalent). Share tool with WHO for discussion before application.
• •  Updated digital health profile and maturity of each country and create profiles for additional countries (CNMI, Niue, Tokelau);
• •  An instrument to collect data to fill in perceived and potential gaps in the essential digital health foundations, including HIS, CVRS.

B. Survey and interviews with key informants, stakeholders and data managers (with PHIN and WHO collaboration)

• •  Collaborative validation of the digital health profile and maturity assessment, with a focus on HIS and other adjacent datasets e.g. CRVS;
• •  Updated and validated country-specific Digital Health Profile & Maturity Assessment Toolkit (DHPMAT) for country workshop to facilitate the development of a digital health strategy.

C. Co-implementation of the DHPMAT methodology to co-create as digital health strategy & workplan

• •  Country-specific DHPMAT used, preferably by trained country digital health facilitators, to conduct digital health and HIS workshops in each PICT;
• •  Set realistic goals and indicators, including practical recommendations, to move to the next level of digital health maturity;
• •  A sustainable implementation and quality improvement plan

D. Regional comparative analyses and setting priorities at the next PHIN Meeting

• •  Collate, analyze and synthesize country-specific DHPMATs for aggregated and comparative analyses in the Pacific region;
• •  Facilitate a workshop at the PHIN Meeting to use the cross-country analyses to inform a Pacific regional strategy, priorities and work plan;
• •  Prepare a final report iteratively with PHIN and PICTs and contribute drafting a manuscript for publishing based on findings

METHODS TO CARRY OUT THE ACTIVITY

Literary and desk review

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

EDUCATION

Essential:  Tertiary degree(s) in public health, health management information systems/health informatics and digital health.

EXPERIENCE

Essential: At least 10 years of working in health care, with a focus on health systems, eHealth/digital health and implementation. Working experience in the Pacific is desirable

Desirable: Field experience implementing digital health iniatives

LANGUAGES

English

COMPETENCIES

The contractor should have demonstrated experience in assessment of digital health maturity for countries with small populations and low-resource health settings, co-design of digital health products as well as demonstrated experience in conducting literature reviews, data collection from stakeholders, analysis and report writing.

APPLICATIONS

Qualified and interested specialists should submit their CV {for individual contractors} or Company Profile {for institutional applications} and Expression of Interest {cover letter} to the Supply Officer through WP RO UNGM at < wproungm@who.int > by 4 June 2020. 

The cover letter should outline how their experience and qualifications make them a suitable candidate for this position and should include their proposed daily consultancy fee and availability.

Please use Tender Notice No. 108553 as subject to all submission. Only successful candidates will be contacted.