Data-Informed Platform for Health (DIPH)

Summary

The overall aim of the Data-Informed Platform for Health (DIPH) is to improve Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) programmes and services at the district level. The DIPH strategy does this by bringing together data on inputs and processes to promote the use of local data for decision-making, priority-setting, and planning by introducing a structured decision-making process at the district level.

The DIPH is embedded in the existing district decision-making forum- e.g., performance review teams meetings - adding a structured coordination process between different departments and formal data-sharing for evidence-based decision-making, planning, and resource allocation according to local health priorities. Conceptually, the DIPH strategy uses a structured set of processes involving five pre-defined steps and standardised job-aids corresponding to each step to facilitate linking data from health and associated departments and stakeholders. A typical DIPH cycle has five steps around a health theme, which take about four months to complete. Technical assistance is provided by the district stakeholders' induction, orientation, and handholding during the implementation of the initial cycles.

The DIPH job-aids - a set of standardised job-aids (paper forms or web-based interface) - are designed to help organise and interpret data from multiple sectors involved in delivering services around the chosen theme using a common data-sharing platform. They are aimed at district leadership and management teams systematically using, inputting and processing data for decision-making, planning and progress monitoring of the theme.

In Ethiopia, the DIPH intervention research will be employed for four cycles in the North Shoa zone (12 intervention and 12 comparison districts), coupled with process evaluation to understand and improve ongoing implementation issues. In addition, for the impact evaluation of DIPH implementation, a before-and-after comparison of the study outcomes between intervention and comparison study arms will be carried out via district health administration surveys.

This study is a collaboration between the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).

Conditions

• Behavior

Interventions

OTHER

Data informed Platfrom for health

The DIPH promotes local data use for decision-making, priority-setting, planning and course correction at the district level by introducing a structured and collaborative process within the administration cadre. The DIPH is delivered as a package of job aids and guidelines. It involves grouping stakeholders who are brought together to deliberate on issues in a virtual platform facilitated by regular meetings. The package facilitates stakeholders' meetings in five steps: Assessment, Engagement, Definition, Planning and Follow-up. Together, these steps make up one whole cycle of the DIPH completed over four months. Each cycle looks at a specific health theme, identified in the early stages of the cycle itself. The package also includes a digital interface where everyone can regularly review data and check on progress. Note: LSHTM has exempted this study from having a sponsor, as DIPH is implemented at the health system administration level.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ethiopian Public Health Institute

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Tanya Marchant, PhD · London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2020-09-01

Primary Completion

2022-04-30

Completion

2022-06-30

Countries

• United Kingdom

Study Locations