To Share or not to Share: Deciding Factors for (not) Sharing Geospatial Data in Ugandan Health Sector Organizations

This paper discusses some benefits and difficulties of sharing health information that was acquired through a geographic information system (GIS) that is beneficial and problematic. The paper presents a study that explored Ugandan health sector organizations’ reasons for sharing and for not sharing geospatial data. Embedded case-study was carried in 75 health organizations to collect qualitative data in Uganda. To that end, we interviewed 32 participants from 32 health organizations that were not using GIS technology, and 57 participants from 43 health organizations that were, and compared the results. Purposive and snow ball sampling was used to come up with respondents for the study. Qualitative data was collected through use of telephoning, face-to-face interaction interviews, tape recording, review of relevant literature and secondary sources (e.g., annual reports, organizational websites). Not all organizations that were using GIS technology shared their data. The interview analyses identified key factors (i.e., availability, necessity, efficiency, collaborations, learning, and accountability factors) that encourage and (i.e., lacking resources, poor quality of data, restrictions, leadership, and inter-organizational boundaries) that hinder health organizations’ choice to share or not to share geospatial data with other health organizations. Based on these factors, we provide recommendations (i.e., Establish and Harmonize a Geospatial Data Policy, Create a Coordinating Body of GIS-Using Health Professionals and Incorporate GIS Courses in the Curriculum of Universities Dealing with Health Issues) for increasing geospatial-data sharing through integrated collaborative networks across the Ugandan health sector. Our study findings indicate that there is a willingness to share geospatial data between health sector organizations or individuals in Uganda. An ICNSDI is suitable for Uganda, because many organizations share geospatial data, and even internationally, even though on a limited scale. The sharing of geospatial data is one of the biggest benefits of using GIS technology to influence geospatial data use in the health sector organizations. Our study finding shows that the knowledge, management and the documentation of geospatial data sharing are important though organizations are not sharing freely as willing as they should be.