| This study explored the information behavior of health care planners, managers and administrators in Botswana. The study considered the following: the tasks and roles of the managers, planners and administrators, information requirements for those tasks, what motivates information seeking, the sources and channels, the problems and barriers managers faced in information seeking, how information is used, and finally, how the information behavior impacts the design of a national health information system.; Data collection was by observing five (5) respondents, interviewing 28 respondents, nine (9) health information professionals, and document analysis.; This study has shown that the information behavior of health care planners, managers and administrators in Botswana is similar to that of managers in general. However, this study has identified that the information behavior is impacted by a number of factors: the information environment of the respondents, the level and type of planner or manager, the nature of government work, and the functions of the entity that the respondents were heading. The information environment identified is one characterized by fragmentation of the information resources. The study identified a problem in the information flow within the health sector. The information sources and channels most used are informal and interpersonal, although there is room for formal information systems. The tasks that the managers and planners carry out were identified as well as the requisite information needs and the constraints that they face in getting the information. The study has shown that information seeking is hampered to a large extent by the lack of a formalized information management function to ensure that information required by planners is available in the form needed and when needed. This study has laid a foundation for consideration of an information management function; it has identified information needs and the state of the existing information services and systems in the health sector in Botswana. |
