Application of Maturity Models in Cameroon to Strengthen the HIS Ecosystem

In 2017, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Cameroon commissioned a landscape analysis of health information systems (HIS) using a maturity model framework to collect and interpret stakeholder input. This approach acknowledges that HIS ecosystems are made up of technical solutions, clinical processes, data systems, individuals, government agencies, partners, and resources. Understanding this context is critical to recommending appropriate actions to strengthen the ecosystem. In response to the landscape analysis, CDC mobilized resources from PEPFAR's Innovation Fund in 2018 to address identified challenges related to Cameroon's emerging eHealth ecosystem, including non-harmonized paper-based systems, fragmented rudimentary electronic systems, low experience levels with HIS, and ambiguous or inconsistent government oversight of systems. The University of Washington supported the development and adoption of an eHealth Strategic Plan; the University of California – San Francisco conducted the landscape assessment, supported data quality and site level workflow assessments, and supported EMR preparation and user training; and, Jembi Health Systems provided software development expertise to modify Bahmni/OpenMRS EMR to fit workflows and user requirements in Cameroon. Through close collaboration, these organizations aligned the efforts of the Ministry of Health (MOH) to improve the collection, use, and re-use of clinical data for decision-making at all levels of the health system. The consortium will present three benefits to using the HIS maturity model framework in Cameroon: 1) Harmonization of multiple systems to serve the information needs and support decision-making by the Government of Cameroon (GOC); 2) Reinforcement of human capacity at multiple levels of the system to understand and manage the HIS ecosystem throughout its architecture and the entire HIS lifecycle; 3) Identification of costs and efficient use of resources to achieve scale and sustainability as the HIS ecosystem develops along the maturity model continuum.