Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36567357›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2022

Effects of computerized decision support on maternal and neonatal health-worker performance in the context of combined implementation with performance-based incentivisation in Upper East Region, Ghana: a qualitative study of professional perspectives.

Gifty Apiung Aninanya, John E Williams, Afua Williams, Easmon Otupiri, Natasha Howard

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC health services research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
2.7field-weighted citation impact, top 10% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.

Gifty Apiung Aninanya *Department of Health Services Policy, Planning, Management and Economics, School of Public Health, University for Development Studies, Box TL 1350, Tamale, Ghana. ganinanya@uds.edu.gh.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5654-2445
John E WilliamsDodowa Health Research Centre, PO Box DD1, Dodowa, Ghana.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1353-2685
Afua WilliamsGa North Municipal Hospital, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana.
Easmon OtupiriKwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8986-1648
Natasha Howard *Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, 12 Science Drive 2, Singapore , 117549, Singapore.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4174-7349
Dodowa Health Research Centre · GHGhana Health Service · GHKwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology · GHNational University of Singapore · SGUniversity for Development Studies · GH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundComputerized decision support systems (CDSS) and performance-based incentives (PBIs) can improve health-worker performance. However, there is minimal evidence on the combined effects of these interventions or perceived effects among maternal and child healthcare providers in low-resource settings. We thus aimed to explore the perceptions of maternal and child healthcare providers of CDSS support in the context of a combined CDSS-PBI intervention on performance in twelve primary care facilities in Ghana's Upper East Region.

methodsWe conducted a qualitative study drawing on semi-structured key informant interviews with 24 nurses and midwives, 12 health facility managers, and 6 district-level staff familiar with the intervention. We analysed data thematically using deductive and inductive coding in NVivo 10 software.

resultsInterviewees suggested the combined CDSS-PBI intervention improved their performance, through enhancing knowledge of maternal health issues, facilitating diagnoses and prescribing, prompting actions for complications, and improving management. Some interviewees reported improved morbidity and mortality. However, challenges described in patient care included CDSS software inflexibility (e.g. requiring administration of only one intermittent preventive malaria treatment to pregnant women), faulty electronic partograph leading to unnecessary referrals, increased workload for nurses and midwives who still had to complete facility forms, and power fluctuations affecting software.

conclusionCombining CDSS and PBI interventions has potential to improve maternal and child healthcare provision in low-income settings. However, user perspectives and context must be considered, along with allowance for revisions, when designing and implementing CDSS and PBIs interventions.

Indexed as

Infant HealthMidwiferyChildFemaleGhanaHumansInfant, NewbornPregnancyQualitative ResearchSoftwareComputerised-decision support systemGhanaMaternal and neonatal healthmHealthPerformance-based incentives

Identifiers

PMID36567357
PMCPMC9791727
OpenAlexW4312218368

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.