Providing high-quality data for decision-making

Over the past decade, Bluesquare has cultivated unique expertise in data integration and analytics. Our proficiency spans a range of areas, including monitoring and evaluation, health financing, campaign digitization, georegistries, epidemic surveillance, health logistics, data modeling, and data warehousing. This comprehensive expertise empowers us to assist governments and their implementing partners to digitally transform public health services. Through the application of our open source technologies, we aim to enhance the scope, quality, and efficiency of public health services. This, in turn, facilitates the availability of high-quality performance data for decision makers at every level.

Bluesquare’s innovative technologies are dedicated to fostering a more equitable and efficient allocation of healthcare resources, impacting over 100 million people across more than 30 countries. In essence, Bluesquare’s commitment lies in leveraging cutting-edge solutions to advance the digitization of public health services, ultimately contributing to the improvement of healthcare outcomes on a global scale. 

Bluesquare is proud to sponsor the Global Digital Health Forum 2023, happening from December 4 to December 6 in Washington, DC. Come meet us at our booth and during our presentation sessions. 

Bluesquare Presentations at GDHF 2023

• 11:00 am-12:00 pm | On-site event | Topic Lounge B
  •  How to get the most out of a digital health map- presented by Martin De Wulf, CTO at Bluesquare

Each and every Ministry of Health needs to ensure that health services are available, accessible, and that they respond to the needs of individuals and communities. Nevertheless, obtaining answers to those questions is not that straightforward and usually starts with punctual or routine data collection, monthly and/or annual reporting, etc. at different levels of the health system. Once data is available, it must be cleaned, structured, and transformed into something visual, interpretable, and practical to keep up to date. Flexibility in digital tools is key to keep them relevant and reliable. This is where the digital health map, with its integration and update process, comes in. 

A digital health map leverages existing data sources, transitioning from a one-off paper effort to a set of ongoing digital tools and processes that help a country manage its geospatial data on a continuous basis. A digital health map presents data visually on a public interface to facilitate decision making and encourage data collaboration.

This presentation will share digital health map best practices, provide specific field knowledge, and lessons learned about the impact of digital health maps across three different use cases:

1. Our first use case of the digital health map is a descriptive one that shows the current state of the healthcare system/supply in Niger. 
2. The second use case of the digital health map goes beyond description and has an analytic aspect, it’s used as a decision making tool to manage resources and plan investments in Cameroon. 
3. Finally, the third use case adressess patient demand for the nearest available services at all levels. 

•  Interactive and operational dashboards to improve RMNCAH-N outcomes in Cameroon and Burkina Faso- presented by Martin De Wulf, CTO at Bluesquare

One of the major challenges in the fight against maternal and neonatal illness and death in low-resource settings is getting timely, actionable information about where and how illness occurs to decision makers.

The rapid spread of digital health systems and mobile technology has created a surplus of reporting schemes and data sources, often siloed by program or funder. This is particularly challenging in a multidisciplinary field like RMNCAH-N, where a wide range of health system activities are involved.

For the last three years, Bluesquare has been actively involved in integrating data related to maternal and child health in Burkina Faso and Cameroon with the goal of developing interactive dashboards that provide a unified view of RMNCAH-N issues, from antenatal care to vaccination and nutrition.

Bluesquare collaborated with health ministry programs to identify priority indicators from the existing data collection process – including DHIS2-based routine systems, records from program activities, and survey and evaluations reports – and defined visualizations that would respond to needs. Once identified, the data sources were combined into a single table via a series of data processing steps run through our open source data integration solution, OpenHEXA. This integration pipeline solution aligns non-routine data with routine, standardizes differences in reporting nomenclatures and geographies, and computes program indicators. Combined data are then visualized on interactive dashboards which allows users to compare the performance of subnational entities on key indicators to the targets set in national strategic plans, analyze temporal trends at the facility level, or explore detailed analyses of their region or district.

These dashboards are now in use during field supervision at health centers to assess the level of indicators in real-time, and at regional levels during performance review sessions. 

We believe that the actionable information we help to make accessible is supporting the decisions which in turn ensure equitable access to key maternal and child care services for all populations. 

 Join us!

Join us at this important event as we explore how digital health can play a strong role in strengthening health systems and contribute to making Universal Health Coverage a reality. Learn more here. 

For the latest on the conference, follow us on Twitter @blsqhub, using the hashtags #GDHF2023, #globalhealth, #digitalhealth, #eHealth, and #santedigitale.