Documenting Trends in Malaria Data Reporting Accuracy Using Routine Data Quality Audits in Zambia, 2015-2022

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Health Information Systems

Background:

• Zambia has conducted routine data quality audits (DQAs) since 2015 in Central, Southern, and Western provinces.
• Trends in malaria data reporting accuracy and influencing factors have not been previously examined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine trends in malaria data reporting accuracy from 2015 to 2022.
• To identify potential factors influencing data accuracy in the Health Management Information System (HMIS) and Malaria Rapid Reporting System (MRRS).

Main Methods:

• Utilized DQA data from health facilities reporting into HMIS and MRRS.
• Assessed accuracy of outpatient attendance, RDT-tested cases, confirmed cases, and RDT-positive cases.
• Analyzed trends over eight DQA visits and correlated accuracy with facility size and incidence.

Main Results:

• Reporting accuracies for HMIS and MRRS data elements significantly improved from 2015 to 2022.
• The percentage of facilities reporting with high accuracy (≥85%) increased substantially with successive DQAs.
• Low-accuracy facilities (<70%) were consistently uncommon, and no correlation was found between facility size/incidence and overall accuracy.

Conclusions:

• Routine data quality audits have demonstrably improved malaria data reporting accuracy in Zambian health facilities.
• The findings support the continued use and potential expansion of DQAs to enhance public health surveillance systems.