Supply Chain Information Systems and Service Delivery of the Public Health Care Sector in the County Governments of Western Region, Kenya

Abstract

The healthcare sector has undergone significant changes within the past decades, and amidst these changes, attaining efficient and effective healthcare service delivery has remained a distant prospect. This study, therefore, sought to find out the effect of supply chain information systems on service delivery in the public health care sector in the county governments of the western region. The study was anchored on the theory of human service delivery and health network metrics. The study adopted a positivist research philosophy and a descriptive survey research design, and the target population was 284 respondents from the four level 5 county hospitals in the western region. Questionnaires and interview schedules were used for data collection and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The data was presented using tables. 258 respondents participated in the study, and preliminary data checking, screening, and cleaning were done. Validity and reliability statistics were done, and they indicated that the research instruments were adequate for their purpose. Regression analysis shows that supply chain information systems had a significant effect on service delivery in the public health care sector in the county governments of Western Region, Kenya (t = 6.442, p<0.050). The supply chain information system accounted for 14.0% of the changes in service delivery. The study recommended that in the selection of a hospital information system, it should be cost-effective, integrative, high-performance, reliable, responsive, fast, and sustainable. Beyond the infrastructure for information systems, they should invest time and resources in the training of their staff members.