Assessing The Potential Of Information Technology In Nepal's Public Health Surveillance

Abstract

ICT plays a critical role in healthcare, supporting patient records, decision-making, and public health monitoring, but its adoption in Nepal is hindered by challenges such as limited infrastructure, skilled personnel, and privacy concerns. Hence, this study aims to explore the role of IT in enhancing public health surveillance systems in Nepal, with a focus on identifying challenges, benefits, strategies, and the impact of IT to improve public health outcomes. This descriptive quantitative study involved 422 participants from healthcare professions in the Kathmandu Valley, selected using random sampling. Data was collected via paper-based questionnaires and Google Forms, followed by analysis using SPSS, with descriptive and inferential statistics to identify predictors of effective public health surveillance. Content validity was ensured through literature review and expert input, while reliability was confirmed through pretesting and a Cronbach's Alpha test. The findings reveal significant associations between socio-demographic factors and healthcare IT system-related perceptions, with all Chi-square values being highly significant (p-value = 0.0001). Key socio-demographic variables such as age, gender, educational level, profession, and years of experience influence participants' views on challenges, benefits, impacts, and strategies. Additionally, the correlation analysis shows significant positive relationships between the variables. Challenges are positively correlated with benefits, impacts, and strategies, while benefits strongly correlate with impact and strategies.  In conclusion, addressing challenges in healthcare IT systems through strategies like training, collaboration, and user-friendly interfaces can enhance benefits, improve impacts, and ultimately lead to better healthcare outcomes.