An exploratory mixed-methods assessment of private health sector readiness for reporting through the Ministry of Health and Child Care Health Information System in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s healthcare system is a blend of public and private sectors, yet a substantial gap remains in integrating private-sector data into the Ministry of Health and Child Care’s (MoHCC) Health Information System (HIS) to achieve a comprehensive national picture. This exploratory descriptive cross-sectional study used a mixed methods approach to assess the organisational readiness of Zimbabwe’s private healthcare sector for reporting through MoHCC HIS. The key facilitators and barriers influencing the successful integration of private healthcare data into MoHCC HIS. Data were collected through an online survey (n = 49), and an interview guide was used to conduct in-depth interviews (n = 24) with private health facilities stakeholders using constructs such as structural readiness, technological readiness, resource availability, and skill and knowledge readiness. Informed written consent was obtained from the participants for the in-depth interviews. Ethical approval was granted by the Joint Research Ethics Committee JREC/438/2024. Epi Info 7 was used for calculating frequencies and proportions for the quantitative data. Thematic analysis was done for the qualitative data. The private sector was partially ready to report through the MoHCC HIS, as evidenced by facilities’ willingness and leadership commitment to report, the availability of infrastructure, and the presence of data management systems. The study highlights potential facilitators such as enhancing technological readiness, improving staff training, and fostering stronger communication between the public and private sectors. Key challenges identified include inadequate legal frameworks supporting mandatory reporting and limited resources within private facilities. This assessment provides vital information for integrating private sector health data into Zimbabwe’s national Health Information System. Addressing existing gaps and leveraging identified facilitators, stakeholders can enhance the quality of health data available for policy planning and resource allocation, ultimately improving health outcomes.Author summary: Zimbabwe’s healthcare system comprises both public and private providers; however, there is currently insufficient sharing of health data between private facilities and the Ministry of Health and Child Care. This lack of data exchange hinders a comprehensive national understanding of health trends and requirements. To investigate this issue, we conducted a study to assess the preparedness of private health facilities to contribute their data to the national Health Information System. The research utilised a combination of surveys and interviews involving 73 representatives from private health facilities.