Transitioning from paper-based to electronic health management information systems in Africa: a scoping review protocol

Introduction The rising shift from paper-based to electronic health management information systems (EHMIS) among global health systems has shown promising strides over the past decade. Yet, most African health systems have continued to use paper records with attendant gaps and challenges. Most African governments have now started transitioning from paper to EHMIS but lack adequate guidance to support this shift. There is therefore a need for harmonised regional guidance to ensure that such transitions are carried out systematically and take into account country-specific contexts. Objective The objective of this study protocol is to conduct a scoping review to generate evidence that will inform the development of a comprehensive guide to support countries in the WHO African Region in transitioning from paper-based to EHMIS. Methods and analysis The review will follow established methodological guidance for scoping reviews as outlined by Arksey and O’Malley and further refined by Levac et al and the Joanna Briggs Institute, with reporting guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. A search strategy will be developed to systematically identify relevant studies from both published and grey literature sources including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus and African Index Medicus. Other sources will include Google Scholar, Emerald Journal, the WHO Regional Office for Africa Library and websites of WHO, ITU and Ministries of Health. Reference lists of the retrieved published articles will be manually searched to identify additional relevant studies. Descriptive qualitative content analysis will be undertaken using the policy analysis framework and key findings will be summarised and presented using tables, charts and maps. Ethics and dissemination This study does not involve the collection of primary data; therefore, ethical approval will not be required. On completion of the study, findings will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal and will also be presented at national, regional and international conferences to support knowledge sharing and policy engagement.