Usability of Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System for Coronavirus Disease among Epidemiology Officers in Delta State Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: Nigeria recently used electronic surveillance tools for epidemic diseases, one such tool is the Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System (SORMAS); no readily available study has assessed the use of SORMAS in Nigeria. The title of this study is the usability of SORMAS for coronavirus disease among epidemiological officers in Delta State; it explored the ease of use, the effectiveness of SORMAS, its applicability, and the challenges with its use. Materials and Methods: This descriptive qualitative study involved disease surveillance and notification officers (DSNOs) and their assistants DSNOs in the year 2022; 25 of them were interviewed using two audio tape recorders after consent was obtained. Ethical clearance was obtained from the appropriate body. Thematic content analysis, with the help of Analysis of Qualitative Data software, was used to analyze data. Results: The findings showed that SORMAS was difficult to use for 100% of the respondents, particularly at the initial time, and subsequent use was relatively easy. About 100% of users found SORMAS to be effective for coronavirus disease 2019 surveillance and claimed it could be applied to other health diseases. About 100% of the respondents had challengesp which included network problems, unavailability of adequate airtime, low technological know‑how, software glitch, and hardware issues, among others. Conclusion: This study helped to outline the factors affecting SORMAS use, demonstrated that SORMAS was relatively easy to use after repeated training, was deemed effective by all respondents; applied to other health diseases, and its use was affected by several challenges.