O‘Neil S, Taylor S, Sivasankaran A. Data Equity to Advance Health and Health Equity in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Scoping Review.
Digit Health 2021;
7:20552076211061922. [PMID:
34992789 PMCID:
PMC8725220 DOI:
10.1177/20552076211061922]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective
To assess a common hypothesis that data serve as a mechanism to improve
health and health equity in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), we
conducted a synthesis of the evidence about the linkage between data
capabilities in LMICs and health outcomes.
Methods
We searched and reviewed peer-reviewed and grey literature published in the
past decade that focused on at least one aspect of health data or health
equity or provided insights on the relationship between data use and
improved health outcomes, decision-making, or both. We supplemented this
with expert interviews and convenience-sampled literature.
Results
Of the 50 included articles, 33 discussed data collection, with 23 stating
that poor accuracy, reliability, and completeness hindered data-informed
decision-making. Of 27 articles discussing data access, 18 described how
lack of interoperability between data systems hampered governments’ and
other organizations’ ability to leverage the full value of data available.
Of 19 articles discussing data use, 13 discussed how data were not getting
to those doing work on the ground. Although key informants postulated a
virtuous cycle between data and improved health outcomes, evidence did not
support this connection.
Conclusions
Findings indicate better data might improve health service delivery. However,
more work is needed to examine whether improvements in data yield
improvements in health outcomes in LMICs. Our conceptual framework of data
equity for health and health equity developed through this scoping review
helps identify the key components along which to assess improvements in
LMICs’ data capabilities.
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