Turning Findings into Decisions

The purpose of the analysis is not the chart. It is to answer a question and support an appropriate decision.

7.7.1 From data to action

1. 1. Data→
2. 2. Finding→
3. 3. Interpretation→
4. 4. Recommendation→
5. 5. Action→
6. 6. Follow-up

Data: completeness declined from 90% in January to 70% in March. Finding: it fell by 20 percentage points. Interpretation: fewer expected reports were received in March. Recommendation: investigate the missing reports and whether the decline is tied to operations, a reporting change, or something else. Action: the responsible team reviews the missing submissions and contacts the facilities. Follow-up: completeness is reviewed in the next period.

7.7.2 Distinguish findings from recommendations

A finding describes the evidence. Three of ten expected reports were missing. A recommendation proposes the next step. Contact the facilities, confirm the status, and document why they were not submitted. Keeping them separate stops an assumption from being written as a fact.

7.7.3 Prioritise issues

• Magnitude: how large is the problem?
• Urgency: does it need attention now?
• Consequence: what could happen if it is left?
• Evidence strength: how reliable is the finding?
• Feasibility: can the organisation act with the resources it has?

A possible patient-safety concern needs a faster response than a formatting inconsistency. Follow the organisation's procedure.

7.7.4 Write a concise analytical brief

1. Title: what the issue is.
2. Purpose: what question was investigated.
3. Key finding: what the analysis showed.
4. Evidence: which data supports it.
5. Limitations: what remains uncertain.
6. Recommendation: what should happen next.
7. Follow-up: how progress will be assessed.

7.7.5 Example analytical brief

Title: Review of Routine Health Reporting Completeness. Purpose: to assess completeness of expected monthly facility reports. Key finding: in a fictional period, 15 of 20 expected reports were received, so completeness is 75%. Interpretation: five reports were missing, and that gap may affect the district picture. Limitations: the figures do not say why the reports were missing, or whether the reports that arrived were accurate. Recommendation: confirm the status of the missing reports, document the reasons, and review completeness in the next period. Follow-up: the percentage of expected reports received by the next deadline.

7.7.6 The role of a Health Information Management professional

• Organise and maintain reliable records.
• Support data quality assessment.
• Apply data-management procedures.
• Analyse routine health information.
• Prepare summaries and reports.
• Support research documentation.
• Help protect confidential information.
• Say what the data cannot show.
• Contribute to digital health and information-system improvement.

These skills are used in hospitals, public health programmes, research projects, and NGO monitoring teams.