Using data systems to conduct health research in the Caribbean: challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Health Informatics

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic imposed severe movement restrictions, hindering traditional health data collection for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
• Assessing metabolic health in NCD populations required innovative data gathering methods during pandemic-related safety concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the challenges encountered in collecting health data from hospital systems in the Caribbean during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To evaluate the feasibility of using hospital laboratory databases and telephone contact for research participant identification and data extraction.

Main Methods:

• Attempted to utilize hospital laboratory databases in Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago for participant identification.
• Planned telephone contact for consent and medical record abstraction for blood pressure and anthropometric data.
• Documented challenges including limited IT support, lack of unique identifiers, outdated contact information, and reliance on manual chart review.

Main Results:

• Significant difficulties were faced in accessing and linking laboratory data to medical records.
• Inaccurate and outdated telephone numbers hampered participant recruitment efforts.
• Inconsistent recording of biomedical data and the prevalence of paper-based records complicated data abstraction.
• Traditional recruitment methods were ultimately necessary as restrictions eased.

Conclusions:

• The study highlights critical barriers to health data collection in Caribbean hospital systems during a public health crisis.
• There is a pressing need for strengthened routine data collection processes.
• Implementation of standardized, accessible electronic data systems is essential for generating reliable health data in the region.