Khulisa Management Services

Khulisa Management Services (Pty) Ltd has conducted data quality assessments (DQAs) for PEPFAR – the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief partners in South Africa since 2005. Over that time our DQA approach has evolved from an externally administered audit process (where Khulisa assessors evaluated the quality of partner data) to an internally administered process (where partners conduct their own internal DQAs with Khulisa assistance). The new routine data quality assessment (RDQA) approach encourages ownership of data quality improvement and builds capacity in data management among the PEPFAR partners themselves.

Recently, Khulisa piloted its internal DQA approach with the Free State Provincial Health Department. This was the first time that Khulisa engaged the South African Government directly to conduct DQAs on their own health data. In Thabo Mofutsanyane district, Khulisa trained health officials at district, sub district and facility levels to assess and improve Preventing Mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) data management systems and the data reported to the District Health Information System were verified to determine its accuracy.

In addition Khulisa also provided technical assistance to strengthen key areas of weaknesses identified. The assistance rendered included developing standard operating protocols for various data management processes; developing systems to track and follow up on HIV exposed babies from birth up to 18 months; and developing confidentiality protocols for non clinical staff at health facilities.

A follow-up DQA conducted eight weeks later showed overall improvement in data management systems, processes, and more accurate data reported.

A reflection meeting with the district and provincial stakeholders at the end of the pilot elicited positive feedback in understanding the link between accurate data and quality service delivery processes; improvements in operations to enhance data quality; as well as better preparedness of facilities for the Core Standards’ assessments that took place during the RDQA project period.