Scanning and digitisation of health records with Smart Paper Technology
With Shifo’s Smart Paper Technology (SPT) solution, the process of scanning Smart Paper Forms is what allows individual health records, programmatic and supply-chain data to be digitized.
Shifo works closely with the Ministry of Health and other partners to align the scanning of Smart Paper Forms to already existing processes in the country. This ensures that the delivery, scanning, digitisation and archiving of Smart Paper Forms is done seamlessly and that all generated data feed into monthly HMIS and LMIS reports, SMS reminders are sent to women and children receiving health services, and all generated data and key performance indicators are available to health workers, to improve quality of health services.
Currently, the process is similar in all of our partner countries. The completed forms are taken from the Health Facilities to scanning stations where the scanning process automatically digitizes the data. This happens within agreed timelines each month to allow the data to be quality assured in time for monthly reports to be generated.
The scanning process is relatively fast. On average, medium-sized Health Facilities have 40–50 Smart Paper Forms per month. It takes 20–25 seconds for the scanning to be completed for each facility, and 5–10 minutes in total for all facilities in the district. When the data is digitised, a process of automatic and manual quality assurance takes place, to ensure that data quality is above 99%.
We work closely with District Health Teams to ensure that the scanning stations are strategically placed across districts, to ensure that health workers don’t have to travel too far when returning SPT Forms.
If you’d like to read more about Shifo’s SPT solution, you can do so here
