PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Muhoza, Pierre AU - Saleem, Haneefa AU - Faye, Adama AU - Tine, Roger AU - Diaw, Abdoulaye AU - Kante, Almamy Malick AU - Ruff, Andrea AU - Marx, Melissa A. TI - Behavioral Determinants of Routine Health Information System Data Use in Senegal: A Qualitative Inquiry Based on the Integrated Behavioral Model AID - 10.9745/GHSP-D-21-00686 DP - 2022 Jun 29 TA - Global Health: Science and Practice PG - e2100686 VI - 10 IP - 3 4099 - http://www.ghspjournal.org/content/10/3/e2100686.short 4100 - http://www.ghspjournal.org/content/10/3/e2100686.full SO - GLOB HEALTH SCI PRACT2022 Jun 29; 10 AB - Key FindingsRespondents' instrumental and experiential attitudes about using routine health information system (RHIS) data for decision making revealed that they felt using RHIS data was time consuming, unreliable and that, often, the level of granularity was insufficient for their needs.Respondents' perceptions of lack of control over the data production, data sharing, and data dissemination processes affected their ability and comfort to use RHIS data consistently.Clear guidelines/protocols on routine data use, regular communications to health workers on issues related to routine data quality and use, and the organization of data review meetings are crucial for shaping a data use culture.Key ImplicationsPolicy makers need to develop a national plan solely dedicated to the improvement of routine data quality and use to address issues transcending disease-specific scopes.National stakeholders should redesign existing data use strengthening programs with a renewed emphasis on the behavioral aspects of routine data demand and data use.National stakeholders should consider approaches to strengthen pre-service training in data use competencies to complement the in-service capacity-building strategies.Routine health information system (RHIS) data are essential in driving decision making and planning in health systems as well as health programs. However, despite their importance, these data are underutilized, and the underlying individual-level facilitators and barriers to use remain understudied. In this research, we applied the Integrated Behavior Model (IBM) to examine how attitudes toward RHIS data, perceived norms concerning RHIS data use, and the ability to use RHIS data influence the demand and use of RHIS data among stakeholders in Senegal. Using data from interviews with respondents working at national levels of malaria, HIV, and TB control programs in Senegal, we used a framework analysis approach to apply the IBM behavioral constructs and identify their linkages to RHIS data use. We found that attitudes about the quality, availability, and relevance of RHIS data for decision making were important in driving data use among respondents. Institutional expectations, organizational protocols, policies, and practices around RHIS data ultimately shape social norms around the use of the data. Although we found that perceived ability and self-efficacy to use RHIS data were not barriers to RHIS data use among stakeholders at the strategic levels of their respective organizations, these were reported to be barriers at lower levels of the health system. Low perceived control of the RHIS data production process ultimately reduced RHIS data use for decision making among the strategic-level respondents. We recommend context-specific reexamination of existing RHIS interventions with a renewed emphasis on behavioral aspects of data use. The IBM can help guide practitioners, policy makers, and academics to address multiple socioecological factors that influence data use behavior when recommending RHIS and data use solutions.