@Article{info:doi/10.2196/56275,
author="Palmeirim, Marta S
and Houngbedji, Clarisse A
and Barth-Jaeggi, Tanja
and Kouam{\'e}, Jean-Pierre Y
and Krouman, Aboubakar
and Coulibaly, Daouda
and Wyss, Kaspar",
title="Key Characteristics and Perception of Different Outbreak Surveillance Systems in C{\^o}te d'Ivoire: Cross-Sectional Survey Among Users",
journal="JMIR Public Health Surveill",
year="2024",
month="Jul",
day="30",
volume="10",
pages="e56275",
keywords="outbreak surveillance system; COVID-19; C{\^o}te d'Ivoire; SORMAS; MAGPI; DHIS2; outbreak surveillance; key characteristics; users' perception; infectious disease; infectious diseases; public health; disease surveillance; policy decision; cross-sectional study; descriptively analysis; Policymakers; health officials; healthcare system; Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System; District Health Information Software 2; policy makers; health care system",
abstract="Background: Accurate and timely infectious disease surveillance is pivotal for effective public health responses. An important component of this is the disease surveillance tools used. Understanding views and experiences of users is crucial for informing policy decisions and ensuring the seamless functioning of surveillance systems. Objective: In this study, we aimed to assess the user perceptions of 3 disease surveillance tools used in C{\^o}te d'Ivoire, namely, MAGPI, District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2), and Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System (SORMAS), the latter was implemented in 2021 within a pilot scheme. Methods: We conducted interviews and a web-based survey distributed to users of the 3 surveillance tools. The survey assessed users' views of the surveillance tools' usefulness, ease of use, feelings toward the tool, conditions that may influence the use, and other characteristics. The descriptive analysis compared responses from SORMAS, MAGPI, and DHIS2 users, providing a comprehensive evaluation of their experiences. Results: Among the 159 respondents who actively use one of the systems, MAGPI was the most widely used surveillance tool among respondents (n=127, 79.9{\%}), followed by DHIS2 (n=108, 67.9{\%}), and SORMAS (n=25, 15.7{\%}). In terms of users' perceptions, SORMAS, despite its limited implementation, emerged as a tool that allows for data analysis and had the most comprehensive set of functionalities. DHIS2 was appreciated for its frequency of report provision, although users reported occasional IT system failures. MAGPI was recognized for its ease of use but was reported to lack certain functionalities offered by the other surveillance systems. Conclusions: This study offers valuable insights into the perceptions of disease surveillance tools users in C{\^o}te d'Ivoire. While all systems were positively regarded, each exhibited strengths and weaknesses addressing different needs and functionalities. Policy makers and health officials can use these findings to enhance existing tools or consider a unified approach for infectious disease surveillance systems. Understanding users' perspectives allows them to optimize the choice of surveillance tools, ultimately strengthening public health responses in C{\^o}te d'Ivoire and potentially serving as a model for other countries facing similar decisions in their health care systems. ",
issn="2369-2960",
doi="10.2196/56275",
url="https://publichealth.jmir.org/2024/1/e56275",
url="https://doi.org/10.2196/56275"
}