Conducting Evaluations using Routine Health Information System Data: A Researcher’s Guide

Routine health information system (RHIS) data have been used to monitor the performance of health systems in many low- and middle-income countries. However, due to concerns over data quality and appropriateness of study designs, they are currently underexploited by researchers for conducting evaluations of health system interventions. Aimed at researchers interested in using RHIS data to conduct evaluations of the impact of programs and policies on the use of health services in RHIS, this article builds off the literature to provide step-by-step practical guidance for researchers on how to conduct such evaluations. We cover topics on how to select indicators, assess and address data quality issues, select research designs that are appropriate for evaluation aims. We also present examples of best practices taken from the literature and discuss the limitations of using RHIS data. When appropriate steps are taken to process data and proper methods are deployed, RHIS are a valuable source of data for health program evaluations – often at much lower cost – and can provide insights that can't be obtained elsewhere.