An Institutional Perspective on Health Sector Reforms and the Process of Reframing Health Information Systems Case Study From Mozambique

TLDR: The article draws on new institutional theory to argue that the focus of this program on formal rules, which deemphasize the informal constraints at the point of service delivery, has resulted in limited change and the need for enhancing incentives and enforcement as key mechanisms through which more effective change can be enabled in the future.

Abstract: Health sector reform, including structural and process changes such as the incorporation of feasible information and communication technologies, is a priority in many least developed countries. However, such changes have not been particularly effective, the reasons for which will be explored in this article. Particular attention will be paid to attempts to integrate information systems in HIV/AIDS program in Mozambique. The article draws on new institutional theory to argue that the focus of this program on formal rules (i.e., Sector Wide Approach policy and national plans), which deemphasize the informal constraints at the point of service delivery (i.e., priority given to health care over reporting), has resulted in limited change. Furthermore, the limited overlap between the formal and informal domains raises the need for enhancing incentives and enforcement as key mechanisms through which more effective change can be enabled in the future.