ICT and Health System Performance in Africa: A Multi-Method Approach

📝 Abstract

For the past two decades, the discussion regarding the effect of ICT on health systems is becoming apparent. However, past studies have mainly focused on ICT impact on specific social-economic phenomena. Little empirical research on ICT and health systems exists. Many African countries have invested in ICT and there is a need to examine if such investments have impacted on health system of these countries. Using a multi-method approach, data for 27 African countries were analysed. We employed Data Envelopment Analysis, Cluster Analysis and Partial Least Squares to examine the impact. The findings indicate that the 27 countries can be grouped into three clusters based on their relative efficiency scores of ICT and health systems. More compelling, the findings indicate that countries that performed efficiently in ICT inputs also do so in their health systems. Further, findings indicate that ICT significantly improves life expectancy at birth and reduces infant mortality rate. African countries must significantly invest in ICT to improve their health systems so as to achieve socio-economic development. The current study has theoretical, methodological and policy implications.

💡 Analysis

For the past two decades, the discussion regarding the effect of ICT on health systems is becoming apparent. However, past studies have mainly focused on ICT impact on specific social-economic phenomena. Little empirical research on ICT and health systems exists. Many African countries have invested in ICT and there is a need to examine if such investments have impacted on health system of these countries. Using a multi-method approach, data for 27 African countries were analysed. We employed Data Envelopment Analysis, Cluster Analysis and Partial Least Squares to examine the impact. The findings indicate that the 27 countries can be grouped into three clusters based on their relative efficiency scores of ICT and health systems. More compelling, the findings indicate that countries that performed efficiently in ICT inputs also do so in their health systems. Further, findings indicate that ICT significantly improves life expectancy at birth and reduces infant mortality rate. African countries must significantly invest in ICT to improve their health systems so as to achieve socio-economic development. The current study has theoretical, methodological and policy implications.

📄 Content

26th Australasian Conference on Information Systems
Mimbi & Bankole 30th Nov – 04th Dec 2015, Adelaide, Australia

ICT and Health System Performance

1

ICT and Health System Performance in Africa: A Multi- Method Approach Lucas Mimbi School of Computing University of South Africa Science Campus, Johannesburg Email: mimbilg@unisa.ac.za
Felix Bankole School of Computing University of South Africa Science Campus, Johannesburg Email: bankofo@unisa.ac.za
Abstract For the past two decades, the discussion regarding the effect of ICT on health systems is becoming apparent. However, past studies have mainly focused on ICT impact on specific social-economic phenomena. Little empirical research on ICT and health systems exists. Many African countries have invested in ICT and there is a need to examine if such investments have impacted on health system of these countries. Using a multi-method approach, data for 27 African countries were analysed. We employed Data Envelopment Analysis, Cluster Analysis and Partial Least Squares to examine the impact. The findings indicate that the 27 countries can be grouped into three clusters based on their relative efficiency scores of ICT and health systems. More compelling, the findings indicate that countries that performed efficiently in ICT inputs also did so in their health systems. Further, findings indicate that ICT significantly improves life expectancy at birth and reduces infant mortality rate. African countries must significantly invest in ICT to improve their health systems so as to achieve socio-economic development. The current study has theoretical, methodological and policy implications. Keywords
ICT and Health Systems, Data Envelopment Analysis, Regression Analysis, Cluster Analysis, Africa 1 Introduction In recent years, there has been much discussion on the impact of information communication technologies (ICT) on health systems in both developed and developing countries (Bloom and Standing 2008; Lucas 2008). However, little research that focuses on the performance of ICT on the health systems particularly in Africa exists (Deidda et al. 2014; Al-Lagilli et al. 2011). Health systems are fundamental in ensuring improved citizens’ welfare and of nations as well (WHO 2014). Underdeveloped health systems not only hamper individual’s social and economic development, but also they may cause a detrimental effect on national economic prospects (WHO 2014). The recent Ebola outbreak in Africa has caused economic downturn and almost brought to halt economic activities in the affected areas. Many of the affected countries could hardly contain the outbreak due to inadequate health care services. The Ebola outbreak thus calls for improved health systems if African countries could register the required economic, social and political development. Studies have indicated that investment in ICT is related to health (Ngwenyama, Andoh-Baidoo, Bollou and Morawczynski 2006). However, empirical evidence on the impact of ICT on health is fragmented and often focuses on case-studies of specific ICT investment (Bankole et al. 2011). The high rate of ICT adoption in Africa has revolutionised the health sector. Health sectors in Africa have been experiencing a tremendous change as a result of transition from industrial age medicine to information age health care services due to ICT adoption. The purpose of this paper is to stimulate awareness about the impact of ICT 26th Australasian Conference on Information Systems
Mimbi & Bankole 30th Nov – 04th Dec 2015, Adelaide, Australia

ICT and Health System Performance

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on health systems in Africa. Therefore, our research main questions focus on whether or not the continuous investment in ICT can impact the health systems performance.
Although several studies have focused on evaluating the impact of ICT on health systems at both economic and organizational level in developed and transition economies (Jeremic et al. 2012; Osei- Bryson and Ko 2004), the issue of evaluating the efficiency of health systems in Africa has not been elaborated. Health is one of the dimensions of human development that is considered to be a fundamental contributor to the welfare of a nation (Bankole et al. 2011). It is therefore imperative to evaluate the impact of ICT adoption on the performance of country’s health system.
We therefore propose to analyse the data of ICT and health in 27 African countries using multi-method approach: - Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), Cluster Analysis and Partial Least Square Regression Analysis with Structural Equation Model. The objectives are to determine the efficiency, performance and the impact of ICT infrastructure on health systems in Africa. The rest of the paper is organised as follows: In section 2 we present the conceptual background of the key concepts applied in this study. Section 3 discusses the theoretical framework guiding the study, foll

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