Usability evaluation of a DHIS2-based electronic information management system for environmental, occupational health and food safety in Sri Lanka.

Abstract

Objectives: The Public Health Inspector (PHI) Monthly Report is a critical document that provides insights into environmental, occupational health and food safety aspects within each Medical Officer of Health area in Sri Lanka. Currently, PHIs use a paper format to track these key health indicators, resulting in incomplete and inaccurate national data. This study evaluates the usability of a DHIS2 (District Health Information Software 2) based digital solution to improve PHI reporting.

Methods: The DHIS2 system was customised to address the gaps in the current reporting process, and its usability was evaluated using the System Usability Scale (SUS) with 50 stakeholders who tested the system.

Results: The DHIS2 platform was flexible enough to be customised to meet the requirements of the new electronic Environmental, Occupational Health and Food Safety Information Management System (eEOHFSIMS). The system achieved an average SUS score of 72.25, exceeding the accepted benchmark of 68, with a high SD of 13.37. However, a 92% knowledge gap remained.

Discussion: Digitising the PHI monthly report using DHIS2 addresses the challenges of traditional paper-based reporting, enabling timely monitoring of public health indicators. The favourable SUS score confirms the system's high usability, yet the knowledge gap underscores the need for ongoing user training to ensure data quality.

Conclusions: The eEOHFSIMS demonstrated its capacity to deliver accurate, complete and timely data, greatly benefiting Sri Lanka's primary healthcare services. This system enhancement supports better-informed decision-making, aligns with national health policies and enables continuous monitoring and evaluation of public health services.