The development of a rural district hospital data dashboard and 15 year review of retrospective clinical admissions in Umkhanyakude District, Kwazulu Natal
1
Health Informatics, Africa Health Research Institute, Cape Town, South Africa
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A979
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Understanding long-term trends in healthcare utilization through structures like a Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) is critical for informing health policy and planning, particularly in rural settings with evolving disease burdens and resource constraints. One such HDSS is based in Umkhanyakude District of northern Kwazulu Natal, covering an area of 845 km².
METHODS:
A comprehensive 15-year review of clinical admissions to a 265 bed rural district hospital was conducted, embedded within the HDSS research population. Clinical presentation and admission course data were collected since 2010 through an integrated data management platform. These were linked by unique identifiers to geolocated persons enrolled within the local HDSS. Between 2010 and 2025, we analyzed retrospective data to assess temporal patterns in patient demographics, diagnostic categories, admission outcomes, bed occupancy and comorbidities. Admissions are ICD-10 coded and stratified by age, sex, HIV status and residency, offering insights into population health dynamics within the district. A live clinician facing digital data dashboard was then built within the Power BI utility using a secure SQL database to allow for ongoing population monitoring, geographic mapping and reporting on clinical trends.
RESULTS:
102 710 admissions (72.1% female) were analysed demonstrating a marked demographic and epidemiological transition in both age at admission and a shift from admissions for HIV-related illnesses, coinciding with the scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs, towards an emerging increase in non-communicable disease (NCD) admissions. Seasonal and gender-based patterns in specific diagnoses are observed. A first rural data dashboard was built and iterated upon for operational use and visualisation of this data for any given timepoint.
CONCLUSIONS:
This longitudinal analysis underscores the critical value of linking routine hospital data with population-based surveillance systems. This data driven approach will continue to directly inform district health planning, resource allocation, and targeted interventions at the district hospital.
Understanding long-term trends in healthcare utilization through structures like a Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) is critical for informing health policy and planning, particularly in rural settings with evolving disease burdens and resource constraints. One such HDSS is based in Umkhanyakude District of northern Kwazulu Natal, covering an area of 845 km².
METHODS:
A comprehensive 15-year review of clinical admissions to a 265 bed rural district hospital was conducted, embedded within the HDSS research population. Clinical presentation and admission course data were collected since 2010 through an integrated data management platform. These were linked by unique identifiers to geolocated persons enrolled within the local HDSS. Between 2010 and 2025, we analyzed retrospective data to assess temporal patterns in patient demographics, diagnostic categories, admission outcomes, bed occupancy and comorbidities. Admissions are ICD-10 coded and stratified by age, sex, HIV status and residency, offering insights into population health dynamics within the district. A live clinician facing digital data dashboard was then built within the Power BI utility using a secure SQL database to allow for ongoing population monitoring, geographic mapping and reporting on clinical trends.
RESULTS:
102 710 admissions (72.1% female) were analysed demonstrating a marked demographic and epidemiological transition in both age at admission and a shift from admissions for HIV-related illnesses, coinciding with the scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs, towards an emerging increase in non-communicable disease (NCD) admissions. Seasonal and gender-based patterns in specific diagnoses are observed. A first rural data dashboard was built and iterated upon for operational use and visualisation of this data for any given timepoint.
CONCLUSIONS:
This longitudinal analysis underscores the critical value of linking routine hospital data with population-based surveillance systems. This data driven approach will continue to directly inform district health planning, resource allocation, and targeted interventions at the district hospital.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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