Conference Abstract | Volume 9, Abstract 0004 (ConfProc7) | Published: 24 Mar 2026
Nelson Ayamga1,&, Haare Donyuo1, Anaba Arnold1, Samuel Dapaa2
1Ghana Health Service, Binduri District Health Directorate, Upper East Region, Ghana, 2Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, Accra, Ghana
&Corresponding author: Nelson Ayamga, Ghana Health Service, Binduri District Health Directorate, Upper East Region, Ghana, Email: nelson.ayamga@ghs.gov.gh, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-7581-8976
Received: 17 Jul 2025, Accepted: 28 Oct 2025, Published: 24 Mar 2026
Domain: Medical Statistics
This is part of the Proceedings of the 8th Ghana FELTP Scientific Conference and FELTP Competency Graduation, Accra, Ghana, 10 – 11 December, 2025
Keywords: DHIMS2, OPD reporting, data quality, fishbone diagram, Binduri District
©Nelson Ayamga et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Nelson Ayamga et al. Late submission of OPD monthly reports for DHIMS2 entry from Azimbe Hospital in Binduri District, Upper East Region, Ghana, 2025. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2026;9(ConfProc7):0004. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO7-0004
Timely reporting of health data is crucial for decision-making, surveillance, and program monitoring, through the District Health Information Management System II (DHIMSII). However, the late submission of Outpatient Department (OPD) monthly reports remains a challenge in parts of the Binduri District, Contributing to a low OPD per capita of 0.39 for July 2025. Regional data show Binduri often ranks 13th-15th out of 15 districts during the initial data pull but improving to 8th-9th after updates indicating delayed reporting. This analysis aimed to identify the root causes of late submission at Azimbe Hospital.
A descriptive cross-sectional design was used, employing a fishbone diagram to analyze the problem. Data were collected through brainstorming, document review, and observation. Participants included an administrator, health staff. Root causes were categorized under staff, resources, administration, and environment. Each identified cause was classified based on the level of control: T (Totally within our control to improve), P (Partially within our control), and N (Not in our control).
A total of 14 root causes were identified. Of these, 4 (28.6%) were totally within our control, 7(50.0%) were partially within our control, and 3 (21.4%) were not within our control. Participants were predominantly clinical health workers, with the majority of them having more than 2years of working experience. The critical root cause identified was inadequate knowledge of reporting tools and deadlines, when tackled, will address the issue of late submission of monthly OPD reports.
The late report submission at Azimbe Hospital is primarily attributed to inadequate knowledge of reporting tools and deadlines, with limited supervision. Addressing these challenges requires targeted capacity-building initiatives. The Health Information Unit should conduct regular refresher training and supportive supervision to improve staff competency and reporting timeliness, while management should ensure effective monitoring to enhance data quality to strengthen evidence-based decision-making.
Menu