Field Data Assessment Protocol
A rigorous quality assurance and evaluation methodology defining data completeness checks, qualitative feedback loops, and validation controls across primary health centers and referral hospitals in Timor-Leste.
1. Quality Assurance Mandate & MERL Scope
Ensuring Institutional Data Integrity and Trust
High-performing health information systems depend fundamentally on the fidelity, accuracy, and timeliness of point-of-care data generated at primary healthcare facilities.
The Field Data Assessment Protocol defines the structured Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL) framework for **Project DATA-RESILIENCE Timor-Leste**. Co-designed with the **Ministério da Saúde (MdS)** and the **Directorate-General of Hospital Services (DGSH)**, this protocol establishes systematic data quality audits, verification algorithms, and field feedback mechanisms across **Hospital Nacional Guido Valadares (HNGV)** and municipal **Centros de Saúde Comunitários (CSCs)**.
2. Core Assessment Dimensions & Audit Methodologies
Click on each quality domain below to review detailed audit criteria.
Domain 1: Quantitative Data Completeness & Timeliness Audits
Audit Scope: Measures the proportion of required data elements captured during patient encounters and the speed of synchronization.
- Field Completeness Ratios: Automated checks evaluating mandatory field entries (patient national ID, age, sex, primary diagnosis code) across primary care tablet logs.
- Reporting Timeliness Tracking: Measures the lag time between patient consultation at municipal CSCs and record availability on central **District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2)** dashboards.
- Missing Value Heatmaps: Visual dashboards identifying specific municipal clinics experiencing chronic missing data or incomplete tallying.
Domain 2: Recount Verification & Paper-to-Digital Reconciliation
Audit Scope: Validates digital tablet entries against physical tally sheets and facility register books.
- Randomized Monthly Sample Audits: Supervisory teams cross-check 5% of monthly physical patient tally sheets against electronic Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) tablet records.
- Discrepancy Threshold Alerts: Flags facility reports where digital tallies deviate by more than 5% from physical register counts for targeted supervisory coaching.
- Duplicate Record Detection: Automated database logic checking for duplicate patient registrations across neighboring municipal health centers.
Domain 3: Qualitative Feedback Loops & Clinician Usability Insights
Audit Scope: Evaluates health worker adoption, technology friction, and operational barriers in rural clinics.
- Quarterly Clinician Focus Groups: Structured feedback sessions with lead nurses, midwives, and *Suku* (village) health volunteers regarding digital tablet usability.
- User Interface Friction Logging: In-app analytics identifying diagnostic screens where clinicians spend excessive time or experience entry errors.
- System Satisfaction Index: Longitudinal tracking of clinician confidence and operational satisfaction with offline digital tools.
Domain 4: Data Governance & Ethical Privacy Audits
Audit Scope: Assesses compliance with national patient privacy regulations and data protection standards.
- Access Control Audits: Reviewing user access permissions to ensure health workers view only patient records within their authorized clinical scope.
- Device Security Checks: Verifying local tablet hardware encryption status, screen timeout locks, and secure password hygiene.
| Evaluation Domain | Key Performance Indicator (KPI) | Target Benchmark | Verification Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Completeness | Percentage of required encounter fields populated | ≥ 95% across all municipal CSCs | Automated Weekly Audit |
| Recount Concordance | Matching accuracy between physical and digital tally logs | ≥ 98% concordance rate | Monthly Field Sampling |
| Sync Timeliness | Time lag from offline record creation to central upload | ≤ 24 hours post-network reconnection | Real-time Automated Monitor |
| User Adoption | Proportion of active clinicians logging routine visits digitally | ≥ 90% active user engagement | Quarterly Usability Review |
3. Capacity Building & Feedback Integration
Supervisory Mentorship Visits
Replaces punitive audits with supportive supervisory visits, where municipal health directors provide hands-on digital coaching to frontline nurses based on data quality findings.
Academic Data Research Feeds
Anonymized quality-assured datasets feed directly into research pipelines at **Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa'e (UNTL)** and **Instituto Nacional de Saúde (INSA)** for public health policy analysis.
Automated Facility Scorecards
Generates monthly visual scorecards for each health center, highlighting achievements in data accuracy and identifying areas needing technical support.
Iterative Software Updates
Qualitative feedback from frontline field assessments directly informs bi-annual software user interface updates and clinical workflow refinements.
Need MERL Protocols or Survey Checklists?
For complete data audit tools, clinician focus group discussion guides, or statistical sampling calculators, contact Masese Consulting Group.
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