Forum Replies Created
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AuthorPosts
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2025-09-21 at 5:55 pm #50773
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantIn my malaria model, I want to focus on 3 key interventions. First, ITN are considered for prevention by reducing mosquito–human contact which lowers infection risk and reduces morbidity. Second, population movement is included as an external factor that increase transmission. Third, access to health care services especially rapid diagnosis and ACT treatment which will shortens the infectious period and reduces mortality.
However, after attending a week 3 class for economic evalucation and CEA, I am interesting to work around economic evaluation of community based and facility based NCD intervention. I will use a Markov model to simulate the cost-utility of interventions focusing on DALYs, ICERs and SA. The main interventions are facility-based NCD management and community-based prevention programs. The alternative scenario will involve removing certain interventions such as the community-based program to assess their impact on health outcomes and costs. This approach will help identify which interventions provide the most health benefit for the resources invested especially in resource limited setting.
I would like to see a guidance from Arjan for this NCD study if it is feasible.
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2025-09-07 at 5:45 pm #50358
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantModel Structure
I think it can be utilized for SEI model. Transmission happened through mosquito bites with incubation in both humans and vectors. This structure will hep assess how interventions like insecticide-treated nets, spraying, or drug administration reduce transmission.Key Characteristic
Malaria is caused by p.f and p.v in study area which is transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes. Symptoms include fever, chills and anemia. Severe cases can be fatal. Kye characteristics of interest is population migration, insecticide-treated nets, rapid diagnostics, ACT treatment and access to health care services. -
2025-08-30 at 8:16 pm #50242
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantFor my individual assignment, I am interested in exploring CVD with a focus on hypertension and diabetes disease burden and their key risk factors. This is the ongoing longitudinal research project implementing in hard to reach areas of Myanmr where CVD remains one of the top ten diseases but no comprehensive NCD health care services were integrated into the health system.
My research questions include: What are the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes within the region? How do hypertension and diabetes contribute to CVD burden across regions? What are the effects of public health interventions like screening or medication adherence? How do socio-economic and lifestyle factors influence disease progression? I aim to use mathematical modelling like risk prediction models to estimate disease burden, assess the impact of intervention (like medication, SBCC, lifestyle modification) and identify high-risk populations. This study can help inform policy making on primary prevention of CVD risk factors and resource mobilization between CVD related health services and PHC. -
2025-08-27 at 4:34 pm #50196
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantThis is very interesting article I read recently those day.
1) The author was interested about Thailand’s high suicide rates and lack of knowledge on the causes of suicide in Thailand. Most of the study published were from developed countries and different in socioeconomic factors (independent variables) with Thailand. The author aimed to explore the area specific factors influencing suicide and provide knowledge for policy interventions.
2) I noticed that alcohol consumption was a key risk factor. The study found that both adult and underage drinking significantly resulted in high suicide rates. Alcohol made impairment in judgment and reduces self-control which made people more prone to suicidal behavior especially during emotional distress. Provinces with higher alcohol consumption had higher suicide rates. This highlight the need to strict alcohol rule and regulations
3) 3) Statistical modeling helped the author to identify and quantify the impact of various factors on suicide rates by analyzing area based provincial data. The study shown geographic differences such as higher rates in northern Thailand relationship of key predictors like income, age and use of alcohol. -
2025-08-24 at 4:11 pm #50117
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
Participant1) In health data analysis, location has not been used as much as other factors because of some challenges. Most of the health information systems do not record the exact place of each person rather than data are collected from health facilities or health posts, not from the individual’s home or workplace. Second is unstable or conflict areas, it is often not safe to collect people’s exact location because of confidentiality risks. Third, the importance of location also depends on the type of disease. For example, in maternal health, location may not matter as much but for communicable diseases like malaria where community live or work is very important to understand the disease spread pattern. Spatial epidemiology brings together knowledge from different fields like epidemiology, geography, statistics, and environmental science to deal with these challenges and make better use of location in health studies.
2) Communicable diseases such as malaria or VPDs etc. are closely linked to geographic location. For example, malaria is common in forested areas where mosquitoes breed and it can easily spread to nearby villages. Similarly, outbreaks of VPDs often follow patterns related to population movement and settlement locations. The importance of location in understanding disease has been recognized since the early days of public health like John Snow famously used geolocation to identify the source of a cholera outbreak in London by mapping cases to trace contaminated water sources. This shows that location data should be utilized and mainstreamed across the health information system -
2025-07-15 at 5:14 pm #49053
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantHello Friends, allow me share my dashboard for week 4 assignment as follows,
https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/d82d4bc3-b4ba-40e4-855c-9af614cd3471 -
2025-07-15 at 4:32 pm #49052
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantHello Friends, Allow me to share the Covid 19 morbidity and mortality dashboard in this following link as this week assignment.
https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/e60e30e9-2dc5-4c41-8c25-e97490c60a43
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2025-07-08 at 9:05 pm #49015
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantI choose the first one which I like the most from the paper “The P value is the probability that the test hypothesis is true, No” from page 341 as most of of us (researchers/ public health specialist) ever say like it is statistically significant due to p value is less than 0.05. Most of us (including me) mistakenly think that the P value tells us the chance that the hypothesis is correct for example like if P value is 0.01 we assume that there is only a 1% chance the hypothesis is true. But this is not correct. The correct one is about the P value is calculated under the assumption that the hypothesis is already true. This show us different the data is from expectation if the hypothesis is true. So, P values do not give the probability that the hypothesis is right or wrong. They only measure how well the data inline with what we expected under the hypothesis.
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2025-07-05 at 4:10 pm #48984
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
Participant1. What are the user ratings for different vaccination apps?
The study found that most vaccination apps received positive user ratings. On Android, 56% of apps were rated 4 to 5 stars while 28% is between 3.0 to 3.9 and 17% had low ratings. For iOS, 46% were rated 4 to 5 stars, 39% rated for 3.0 to 3.9 and the last 15% rated 2 to 2.9. WeChat and Alipay applets did not display user ratings. In general, users showed moderate to high satisfaction with independent apps. -
2025-07-05 at 3:46 pm #48983
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantAllow me to choose 2 questions to answer as follows,
2. How did government restrictions affect mobility patterns?
The government imposed travel restrictions in response to Covid 19 had immediate impact on mobility patterns in the rural border area of Northern Thailand. As the pandemic progressed and increasingly measures were introduced including border closures, cross border checkpoints, and a nationwide curfew. There was a dramatic decline in both the frequency and distance of travel. The study showed that during the peak restriction period, individual mobility dropped by more than 90 including cross border movements.3. What were the main findings on mobility after restrictions eased?
Following the removal of government restrictions, mobility patterns rebounded swiftly. The study found that movement nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels within the first two weeks after lockdown measures were lifted. However, such a quick rebound in movement could increase the risk of a second wave of COVID-19 transmission if not properly monitored. -
2025-06-29 at 4:15 pm #48900
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantFor Question 3) How did the web-based platform compare to the mobile app? I noticed that the web-based notification platform significantly better than the mobile app in terms of response rate, ease of use and user satisfaction. Nearly all web-based users accounted for 99% found the system is easy to use, and reporting of AEFI are more effective for public health monitoring. The mobile app is complexed top use and additional steps are need to complete which make as barriers to user. Conclusion, the web-based platform proved to be a more efficient and user friendly tool for vaccine safety surveillance.
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2025-06-29 at 3:39 pm #48899
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantAllow me to share what I learn from the study,
1) significant impact of the study
The systematic review identified several notable benefits of using mobile apps to support childhood vaccination such as improvement in vaccination uptake with four studies reporting statistically significant increases in coverage following app implementation. The apps were also found to enhance users knowledge about vaccines and positively influence their decision-making processes. Many users appreciated features such as reminders, educational content, and record-keeping tools.
2) How did the apps influence vaccination decision making?
Several studies reported that app users experienced increased confidence in their vaccination choices and a stronger intent to vaccinate. In some cases, interactive features such as self-persuasion tools and tailored messaging further supported positive decision making. However, the review also noted some negative findings such as the information provided by the apps inadvertently discouraged vaccination among users who were initially undecided. This highlights the importance of carefully designing app content to ensure it supports informed and positive health decisions. -
2025-06-08 at 2:58 pm #48759
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantI found it difficult to navigate around the room due to the limited button controls in the third person view. I believe virtual gallery spaces could be valuable in the future if the UI/UX is improved.
Following is my experiences
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QefbMiaVreCr4vPAc71rANR6auaovKC9/view?usp=sharing -
2025-06-08 at 1:57 pm #48758
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantI tested Google Cardboard using YouTube VR and a simple VR game. I enjoyed the 360 degree nature videos from youtube. However, I felt dizzy within seconds and the headset was uncomfortable with blurry visuals. Interaction was limited to gaze and head tilt.
I experienced some stereoscopic vision but poor image alignment caused me discomfort. I felt a bit of presence and immersion especially in nature scenes, but the lack of interactivity and realism reduced the overall experience.here is my VR setup
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JQxJHarG74LUGSPsma1YgqVudvV0fpyU/view?usp=sharing -
2025-06-02 at 5:47 pm #48677
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
Participant
1.) Visualization & Experimentation
The chart below shows temperature and humidity readings from my ESP8266 and DHT11 sensor. At around 16:55, I moved the sensor outside during rainfall. As expected, humidity increased and temperature decreased slightly which showed the sensor’s response to environmental changes.
2.) Challenges & Solutions
The issue was ESP8266 port was not detected in Arduino IDE in my computer. I checked the device manager of my laptop and found there was no driver for the device. I explored on the internet and installed CH340 driver. This fixed the problem.
3.) Ideas for Improvement & Application
I would love to try Include rain alerts via email using app script. -
2025-05-24 at 3:57 pm #48592
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantLet me share my selected article related to Utilization of Apple’s Watch ECG
Title: The Reliability of the Apple Watch’s Electrocardiogram
Authors: Sara Kalnasser et al. 2023
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10757793/1. Summary
This study evaluated the reliability of the Apple Watch’s ECG in detecting various cardiac arrhythmias compared to the standard 12-lead ECG. The study was conducted in 2023 with 469 participants, the research found a high correlation between the Apple Watch ECG and the traditional 12-lead ECG in identifying arrhythmias such as AF, AV block, and premature ventricular contractions. The Apple Watch demonstrated a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 99.18% for detecting AF. These findings suggest that the Apple Watch can serve as a reliable tool for remote cardiac monitoring especially in situations where access to conventional ECG facilities is limited.
However, Apple Watch ECG function is not available in Myanmar even though Apple watch come with built in ECG sensor.
2. Key aspects
2.1 Objective
The primary goal of the study was to assess the accuracy and reliability of the Apple Watch’s ECG feature in detecting cardiac arrhythmias as a remote monitoring tool in clinical practice.2.2 Sensors Used
The system utilizes the Apple Watch’s built-in single-lead ECG sensor. The sensor records electrical signals from the heart when the user touches the digital crown. This sensor captures data that can be analyzed for various cardiac conditions.2.3 Challenges
Data Interpretation: The automated interpretation of ECG readings by the Apple Watch showed a sensitivity of 81% for AF detection compared to 100% sensitivity when readings were manually interpreted by physicians. The sensitivity was lower for other arrhythmias,
User-Dependent Factors: The quality of ECG recordings can be affected by user movement and improper use lead to inaccurate readings. -
2025-05-10 at 9:50 pm #48483
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
Participantlet me share the EQ repsonse dashboard, I used the mock dataset for EQ response programs of Myanmar for education purpose only.
https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/125e6584-4a4c-4c3d-b535-73bbcd216fd4 -
2025-05-01 at 3:32 pm #48442
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
Participanthttps://themimu.info/5w-overview-dashboard
I would like to share my interpretation of the 5W HDP Nexus dashboard from the Myanmar Information Management Unit (MIMU). For the recent earthquake response program implementation, we recently utilized this dashboard to capture baseline information on humanitarian programs being implemented in MyanmarFollowing is my interpretation on the dashboard:
Good point
• Interactive maps clearly show where activities are happening
• Filter options (by sector, location, timeframe) allow tailored views
• Color coding and icons aid quick understanding
• Dashboard layout gives a quick overview of key metrics of humanitrain programs categorized by different clustersArea for improvement
• No trend visuals to show changes over time
• Cluttered interface can be overwhelming for new users
• Limited comparison features across regions or sectors
• Not mobile-friendly -
2025-04-27 at 5:24 pm #48399
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantThe CRF is well organized and covers important sections such as screening eligibility, demographics, vital signs, laboratory tests, and vaccination details etc. It would be helpful to standardize the response options more consistently (for example use full words instead or just abbreviations like BKK and CNX) and add fields for signature.
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2025-04-27 at 1:36 pm #48398
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantThe CRF is well-organized, easy to follow and captures key study data clearly. Minor improvements include correcting small typos, standardizing date/time formats, adding eligibility confirmation and including signature fields to strengthen documentation and compliance.
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2025-04-27 at 12:25 pm #48397
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantAge can be calculated using DOB, however even if age is wanted to be recorded, it is good to record as Year and month
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2025-04-27 at 12:18 pm #48396
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantHaving data standards like using a common format for how patient information is recorded makes it much easier to combine and compare data across multiple information system. But in reality using standard format is not possible to due to multiple issue. Therefore at least standard variables are defined for foundational interoperability between the system.
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2025-04-27 at 12:12 pm #48395
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantYes, I have experience working with projects where data management processes included key measures to ensure data quality and integrity using DHIS2
• Audit trail/Time stamp:
In the projects I have worked with DHIS2 were used. The automatically generate audit trails and time stamps to track changes in the data.
• User authentication and access control:
User authentication was implemented through username and password logins. Systems like DHIS2 allowed for role-based access control.
• Edit check and logical check:
Built-in validation rules were applied during data entry. DHIS2 uses program rules and indicators for logical checks.
• Data backup and recovery plan:
Regular automated backups were scheduled on cloud servers. For DHIS2, we scheduled nightly database backups configured within the organization server management plan. -
2025-04-04 at 2:14 pm #48108
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantGDPR regulation is built on key principles such as lawfulness, fairness, transparency, data minimization, accuracy, and security. It grants individuals extensive rights such as right to access, rectify, erase data, right to data portability and objection to processing. Organizations must have a lawful basis for processing personal data such as obtaining explicit consent or fulfilling a contractual obligation.
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2025-03-19 at 12:08 pm #47620
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantMy infographic is not showed up and I don’t know why. So I would like to share google drive link for this.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Q3SMSrO2Q3wcBBgB_n8YL9BhnnsJ7JjD/view?usp=sharing
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2025-03-16 at 2:25 pm #47602
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantI have experience with several steps in the data management workflow including protocol discussion, data design, data acquisition, data collection tool development, data entry and processing, quality control management, data analysis, and reporting. However, I have not worked on edit checks programming and automatic data validation. To improve my projects, I should focus more on automated data validation, edit check integration to enhance data accuracy and efficiency.
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2025-03-16 at 2:09 pm #47601
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantI have extensive experience in data collection for research and program evaluation at both outcome and impact levels, a recent one is Eastern Burma Retrospective Mortality Survey (EBRMS 2025) and RCT for CVD in border areas. My experience includes conducting primary and secondary data collection, designing and implementing both quantitative and qualitative studies, and performing descriptive and inferential data analysis. I have produced various types of reports from synthesis reports to comprehensive research papers.
In my experience, managing qualitative data whether from a mixed methods or a purely qualitative study is challenging compared to quantitative study. These challenges include mitigating researcher bias while ensuring accuracy in transcript writing and maintaining consistency in data interpretation. Qualitative data coding, categorization and interpretation are major challenges for PI with different experiences and knowledge. Unlike quantitative studies where structured data can be easily analyzed using statistical tools, qualitative data requires careful handling to preserve context, meaning, and validity. -
2025-03-13 at 11:00 am #47543
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantWhat I learned from this topic is as this infographic.
https://snipboard.io/26WVkY.jpg -
2025-02-24 at 4:22 pm #47250
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantIn our areas, PCU are similar to VTHC (Village Tract Health Center) which provides primary care services according to defined Basic Essential Health Care Services (BEPHS). Health financing/ strategic purchasing mechanisms are integrated into the some VTHC in which VTHC works as provider and the organization works as purchaser. VHW are recruited to provide prevention, surveillance and response services but still in silo project and not involved yet in the health systems. The model is successful in South East Myanmar-Thai border but unsuccessful in North West Myanmar due to centralization of the health system governance.
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2025-02-24 at 4:04 pm #47249
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantSince I am working to strengthen the Health System in Fragile and Conflict setting, I am mostly working for the health policy making in rural and terrain context which is more leaning on the primacy care level. In my areas, the health workforces of CBOs vary widely in their skill mix and inconsistent distribution at the service delivery level. Regardless of the differences in health workforce arrangements, all ethnic health systems must be able to provide at least minimum standards of high-quality primary health care services as listed in their essential package of health services (BEPHS) to their communities.
To enable the health workforce to provide a minimal package of health services to the community in quality and equitable standard, CPI’s support partners in 3 key areas of health workforce development as follows,
1. Human Resource Production, career pathway creation and institutionalization of Training: the HRH production is not to be silo for vertical project. The health workforce are to be mainstreamed into the health system. We support to establish training institutions and curriculum development.
2. Human Resources Information System: we support to establish a well-functioning HR Information System for various CBO partners in recent years as data scarcity and data unavailability is one of the most prominent challenges faced inCBO’s HRH planning and management. We made WISN study to explore the current workloads of health cadres.
3. Pre-service and In-service Training: We supports CBO’s health workforce capacity building throughout pre-service training, in-service training, and continuous professional capacity strengthening to strengthen medical education and technical capacity development in coordination with Mae Tao Clinic
It is still limited to assess the quality of care of the services provided by front line health workers in comprehensive manner. However, we have developed a Routine Service Quality Assessment System (RSQA) and tools to assess the quality of health care services provided to community by health care providers as remote assessment. -
2025-02-24 at 3:50 pm #47248
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantIn the rural areas of ethnic states where government health services are unavailable and unacceptable, the primary health services are provided by the trained health workers from community based health organizations. The health workers density in our implementation areas was 4.5/ 1000 before the 2021. After 2021, there have been more migration and internally displaced people which reached to 3.7 millions population. Therefore, the CBOs working in the conflict areas are working in challenging situation with increased workload, decreased resource and threatened their safety by opposition groups. We had supported Mae Taw Clinic in term of WISN study to strengthen the human resource management of reproductive health sector in production, recruitment, training and allocation of health service providers by narrowing the gaps between existing health workforce and required health workforce to cope with their workload and efficiently deliver the reproductive health package for the community.
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2025-02-24 at 3:27 pm #47247
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantAs a director of Health System Strengthening in Community Partners International, I have been leading strengthening of health system in conflict context especially in Thai-Myanmar border. Health financing is one of the health system domains and CPI and global health financing community have seen a major paradigm shift towards strategic purchasing as a quest to achieve the universal health coverage by maximizing efficiency while promoting accountability and transparency. Before 2021, we supported Myanmar government in the implementation of National Health Plan as a first phase of Myanmmar efforts to achieve UHC by 2030. Our support focused on following areas at this time
1) Financial protection to promote equitable access to health by increasing government spending on health
2) Strengthening the health workforce for equitable service delivery. HRH production and HRIS development were included in it.
3) Strengthening the township health system for planning and budgeting through ITHP (integrated township health plan)
however, after 2021, our support on the UHC works had diminished. But the system strenghtning supports are moving to strhenghtn the health system in order to achieve system resilience during emergency situation. Currently we are supporting strategic purchasing pilot based on the UHC tube in cross border Myanmar. The main objective of the SPP are to
1) Improve access to health care services by conflict affected communities. We defined basic and essential health care service package (BEPHS) to provide primary care services to communities
2) Reduce effects on health systems: Providers and purchasers in the system are given the skills to manage a health system, from prioritization of services, to coordination and joint planning, as well as logistics, HR management, M&E and other factors.
3) Effects for learning and future growth: The projects aim to build trust between different providers, a common understanding of the need for and approaches to delivering UHC, develop best practices and build the skills to implement a future federal health system.
The weakness of the implementation model is sustainability and lasting impact as purchasers are still depending on the donor and humanitarian aids. Due to recent USAID’s SOW order, the Strategic purchasing programs to ahieve UHC are difficult to continue.For more information about UHC and HSS by CPI, please visit this link: https://cpintl.org/learning-hub
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2025-02-02 at 1:35 pm #46826
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantI led a study on the digital transformation of the Health Management Information System (HMIS) in Thai-Myanmar border areas. The primary objective was to assess the impact of digital HMIS initiatives on ethnic health systems amid the ongoing armed conflict along the Thailand-Myanmar border. I presented this study at the Health Systems Research Conference in Nagasaki, Japan, in 2024.
In our context, we face significant challenges in strengthening the health information system (HIS) in primary care settings due to limited resources such as internet access, IT infrastructure, and electricity. Therefore, our focus is on enhancing the electronic Health Information System (eHIS) at the cluster health center level rather than fully implementing electronic health records (EHR) at individual health service delivery points. Hence, I would like to share the following goods and area of improvement of using eHIS in conflict affected setting.Conclusion of the study: Using case-based digital HMIS is highly customizable, and interoperable, producing system-calculated indicators and headcount reports while maintaining the data quality. However, front-line health workers are burdened with recording individual patient information during active arm conflict settings.
Recommendation of the study: A digitalized Health Management Information System (HMIS) is essential for enhancing access to timely and accurate data, which is critical for effective health planning, management, and disease surveillance. However, based on the findings, the following key recommendations are suggested for its implementation in emergency context:
1) Aggregate Reporting: Aggregate reporting should be changed from case based recording to reduce the burden in health system
2) Interoperability: Promote interoperability between the health care digital sub system such as HMIS, HRIS and LMIS
3) Health Information Exchange: DRG and or ICD should be integrated into HMIS for enhancing health information exchange for disease classification, track morbidity, mortality and surveillance in the ethnic health system.https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uEAnNOZv-KmlOey0c45XyJU7IKDdyUWE/view?usp=sharing
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2025-02-01 at 8:46 pm #46821
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantMissing data: Standardized data collection tools should be used across the EHR and make mandatory entry for essential variables.
Selection bias: A representative sampling should be used across the study. Randomization and control trails (if possible but will be resource intensive for large scale survey) should also be used for comparative study
Data analysis and training: Domain knowledge is a must for researchers and enumerators for better understanding of the meaning of the data and interpretation. Knowledge on statistical methodologies are also important factor for hypothesis testing and statistical modelling.Privacy and ethnical issue: Most of the researchers make the data to be anonymous. However, consent from patients are not usually taken especially for big data analysis and use. Getting consent should be mandatory to ensure the data will be used for the sake of good and to ensure the patients understanding on what they are agreeing to.
Additional suggestions: In addition to above areas mentioned in the literature, I would suggest the quality of data should be one of the major challenges for bid data analysis. Accuracy, consistent and completeness (similar to missing data) are crucial for data governance otherwise the result be garbage in and garbage out.
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2025-01-27 at 9:08 pm #46714
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantI agree with the points outlined regarding corruption and the four steps of action planning. However, “corruption” is a broad term that can be interpreted differently depending on the scenario and context. For example, an aids provider provide a stipend to a health worker in a conflict area to deliver malaria services in rural areas, similarly, if a new nutrition project offers a salary to another health worker working in the same facility where there are five health workers in total and they pool their salaries to distribute them equally. This might be viewed as fraud or corruption from the perspective of donors or auditors.
However, this pooling mechanism could be seen differently by local healthcare stakeholders as it helps maintain Human Resources for Health (HRH) and ensures emergency health care services are available in the community, this is a readiness of health system. This shows that the term “corruption” can vary based on the specific context.
Therefore, I believe we need to carefully define corruption in the appropriate context before making any decisions. From my perspective, it would be beneficial to conduct a study that provides scientific evidence on corruption within health systems according to local contexts as the first step in the action planning process. Qualitative study might work for this kind of exercise but dissemination of the result might be available only for relevant stakeholders especially in conflict setting. -
2025-01-27 at 8:31 pm #46713
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantThe primary goal of strengthening health systems in fragile and conflict affected settings is to build resilience which will enhance the health equity across different populations. From my experience in leading health system strengthening initiatives in fragile and conflict settings, our focus was on improving system resilience to withstand any disaster such as manmade, natural or even health threat. We adopted WHO’s Health System Strengthening framework that includes six key building blocks. Among these, leadership and governance (referred to as stewardship in Dr. Piya’s lecture) and health financing are the most significant challenges. In fragile settings, the involvement of multiple stakeholders in managing local health systems often results in system fragmentation due to political dynamics. In that case, we cannot provide “one size fit for all” approach in system strengthening and it is more resource intensive. Meanwhile, implementing health financing and revenue pooling mechanisms remains a goal far to achieve as communities struggle with financial hardships that make meeting even basic needs a challenge.
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2025-01-08 at 8:08 pm #46568
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantThis is Alex and I hold an MBBS degree. I earned a master’s degree in public health from Khon Kaen University in 2018. I gained knowledge in biostatistics as part of the Master degree in Public Health program. Currently, I work as a Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Health System Director at an NGO. My daily responsibilities involve analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data from primary and secondary sources. The data analysis and presentation pattern are focused on descriptive analysis.
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2024-12-10 at 7:56 pm #46360
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantWe routinely perform incremental backups of health data stored in the system, managed by the organizational Health Information System team. These backups are securely stored on a cloud server. Additionally, we leverage virtualization technologies like VMware to reduce the burden on physical hardware systems. My recommendation here is that every organization regardless of size or resource availability should develop a comprehensive risk mitigation or disaster recovery plan. A concrete plan serves as a guiding document to assign responsibilities, streamline system recovery procedures, and ensure minimal downtime, data loss, and operational disruption. By tailoring the disaster recovery plan to an organization’s specific requirements and constraints, its effectiveness can be significantly enhanced.
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2024-12-04 at 8:14 pm #46355
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
Participant1) Benefits for Patients
Patients will have access to their healthcare data, lab results, and treatment protocols which will increase their satisfaction. Patient waiting times will also be reduced as their baseline information is already available in the system. Additionally, patients will experience improved safety in treatment services by minimizing treatment errors from healthcare providers.
2) Benefits for the Hospital
Hospital administration and operational services will become more efficient by reducing system downtime and ensuring that data is available for every department. This will also help reduce the workload for healthcare staff. Last but not the least is a reliable system will enhance the hospital’s reputation especially in the private sector -
2024-12-02 at 8:08 pm #46344
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantI have never encountered a data breach of this kind in the health systems I have worked with. However, I would like to share my experience in providing technical assistance to establish data protection policies for a local organization. These policies adhere to the principles of CIA, which serve as the foundational framework for data protection.
Confidentiality: Personal identifiers are encrypted, de-identified, and not shared beyond designated personnel. This includes, but is not limited to, data generated from health information systems, patient records, surveillance activities, quality control efforts, surveys, research, and human biological materials from patients and research participants.
Integrity: User access is controlled through a tiered system with different levels of user privileges, secured by login credentials.
Availability: The local health system employs web-based Health Information Systems (HIS), ensuring data availability online 24/7. Additionally, the HIS team provides round-the-clock support to minimize downtime in the event of any incidents. -
2024-11-11 at 6:02 pm #46157
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantOne area of my listening skills that I would like to improve is to give full attention during conversations especially when I am managing multiple tasks. Sometime I am listening in silent mode but my brain is running over the other job intentionally. This happened when I am fully occupied with several works.
Why This Is Important: Effective listening is essential for strong collaboration and building trust in working environment. By improving my listening skills, I can enhance my ability to understand others’ perspectives, respond more thoughtfully, and create a more supportive and communicative environment.
Actions to Improve:
1. Practice Active Listening: Make a conscious effort to focus entirely on the speaker, resisting the urge to plan responses or let my mind drift. This can include maintaining eye contact, nodding to show understanding, and asking clarifying questions when necessary.
2. Limit Distractions: In situations where I know I’ll need to listen intently, I will minimize distractions, such as silencing my phone or closing unrelated documents on my computer, to be fully engaged in the conversation.
3. Take Brief Pauses Before Responding: Instead of responding immediately, I will take a brief pause to ensure I have fully absorbed what the other person has said. This small adjustment can help reinforce understanding and make the conversation more productive.
By implementing these actions, I hope to build stronger, more collaborative relationships and become a more effective communicator. -
2024-11-11 at 5:54 pm #46156
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantMy strongest component of EQ is Self-Awareness. I have a solid understanding of my own emotions and am aware of how they influence my feelings, behavior, and decision-making.
However, I recognize that my Social Skills need improvement. May be I am an introvert, I feel more comfortable working independently, as it allows me to focus and concentrate without the distractions of a group setting.
Action Plan: I aim to participate more actively in group settings in both professionally and socially to enhance my social skills. I will also work on improving my conversational skills, which will help me engage more confidently with others. Through these steps, I hope to become more adaptable in team-oriented situations and build stronger interpersonal connections.
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2024-09-19 at 10:40 am #45581
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantThe preventive measure you mentioned is quite comprehensive. I can learn a lot on the how to prevent DDoS attack in real world scenerios.
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2024-09-19 at 10:26 am #45580
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantAwarenees raising on phishing and scamming, training on digital security will help to improve digital security literacy of the employees as you mentioned. In addition to this, regular vulnerability assessement of the system and risk migitaion plan development should also be institutionalized as a prevent measure.
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2024-09-19 at 10:22 am #45579
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantI totally agree with you to imrpove security measures like 2 factors authentication, regular security audit and continuous monitoring of the system might be effective way to prvent future secruity breach like this one.
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2024-08-11 at 1:57 pm #45237
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantThis is Alex, a medical doctor working as a Director of MEL and Health Systems Strengthening. I hold a master degree in public health and this is my second master degree specialized in health information system development. My areas of interest in this program include health information system architecture, data modeling, machine learning, and disease surveillance systems. It’s a pleasure to meet you all here.
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2025-09-07 at 10:23 am #50348
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantThanks for the comments and suggestions Aj. This is really helpful to me.
I revisited my proposed study and revised to look around malaria transmission dynamics along the Thai–Myanmar border areas epecially Tak and Maehongson. There has been significant population movement and limited access to health care which may sustain the transmission.I want to estimate the key parameters such as reproduction number, evaluate how migration influences malaria spread and the impact of community based malaria controlled programs. -
2025-02-10 at 6:50 pm #46868
Alex Zayar Phyo Aung
ParticipantThanks Aj, I made the link accessible for everyone.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uEAnNOZv-KmlOey0c45XyJU7IKDdyUWE/view?usp=sharing
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