DHIS2 Indicators

An indicator in DHIS2 is a calculated value derived from one or more data elements. Indicators are commonly used for rates, percentages, ratios and coverage measures.

INDICATOR
   │
   ├── Numerator
   │       ↓
   │   Data Element
   │
   ├── Denominator
   │       ↓
   │   Data Element
   │
   └── Factor
           ↓
        × 100

Example

123456

1. 1Numerator. The confirmed cases, the top of the fraction.
2. 2Denominator. The people tested, the bottom of the fraction.
3. 3Factor. 100, which turns 0.682 into 68.2 per cent.
4. 4150 confirmed. What the numerator adds up to in one facility and month.
5. 5220 tested. What the denominator adds up to for the same facility and month.
6. 668.2%. The answer DHIS2 should give. Keep this number to check with in Step 16.

Before creating an indicator, confirm that the data elements needed for the calculation already exist.

For the malaria testing example, check for:

• Malaria Suspected Cases
• Malaria Tests Performed

If the required data element does not exist, create it before proceeding with the indicator.

1234567

1. 1Data element. The side menu item you are in.
2. 2Data element management. The list of everything that can be counted.
3. 3Search. Your initials, so only your ten appear.
4. 4Count. 1 to 10 of 10, which is what you created in Topic 1.
5. 5The names. These are the names you will pick inside the expression builder.
6. 6Value type. Integer, so the sums in the indicator work.
7. 7Category combination. Sex of Child, so the indicator adds both columns together.

Open the Indicators section in the DHIS2 Maintenance/Metadata Management application.

Search the list before creating anything. The demo already holds 77 indicators, and one of them may be close enough to copy.

1234567

1. 1INDICATOR tab. The orange line shows the tab you are on.
2. 2Side menu. The same items as the cards, for quick jumping.
3. 3Indicator. Where the indicator itself is created.
4. 4Plus. Starts a new indicator.
5. 5List. Shows the indicators that already exist. Always look here first.
6. 6Indicator type. Where the factor lives, used in Step 4.
7. 7Indicator group. For grouping indicators once you have several.

Some DHIS2 versions use Indicator Types to define how an indicator is expressed, particularly the factor used for percentage or rate indicators.

For a percentage indicator, the factor is normally 100.

123456

1. 1Indicator type. The side menu item.
2. 2Indicator type management. The list of types.
3. 3Factor column. What each type multiplies by.
4. 4Per cent, 100. Use this for positivity, coverage and completeness.
5. 5Number, factor 1. Use this for a plain count, with a denominator of 1.
6. 6Blue plus. Only use it when the factor you need is genuinely missing.

Return to Indicators and start a new indicator.

The indicator creation form should open.

123456789

1. 1INDICATOR tab. The form opens on the same tab.
2. 2Sharing note. The indicator will be public until you change it in Step 14.
3. 3Name (*). Required.
4. 4Short name (*). Required, and it must be unique.
5. 5Code. Optional.
6. 6Description. Optional, but write it anyway.
7. 7Annualized. Off for a monthly rate.
8. 8Decimals in data output. How many decimals people will see.
9. 9Indicator type (*). Required. This is the factor, set in Step 7.

Give the indicator a clear and meaningful name.

Naming principle

The name should make it clear what is being measured and, where relevant, include the unit such as %, rate, ratio or coverage.

1234

1. 1Name. Malaria Test Positivity Rate (%). The unit is in the name, so nobody has to guess.
2. 2Short name. Malaria TPR, which is what charts and tables will show.
3. 3Code. MAL_TPR, useful when another system asks for this indicator.
4. 4Description. The formula in words: confirmed cases divided by people tested, times 100.

Select the indicator type that corresponds to the calculation.

If you created a Percentage indicator type in Step 4, select it here.

123

1. 1Indicator type. Per cent, which carries the factor of 100.
2. 2The arrow. Opens the list of types from Step 4.
3. 3Annualized. Still off. Turning it on would multiply a monthly value up to a year.

The numerator is the value that appears on top of the calculation.

Numerator
    =
Malaria Tests Performed

123456789

1. 1Description. Confirmed malaria cases, in words.
2. 2The expression. Two data elements in curly brackets with a plus between them. Never typed by hand.
3. 3Operators. Plus, minus, times, divide and brackets. Use plus to add the two test methods together.
4. 4Tabs. Data elements is the one you need. Constants and reporting rates are also available.
5. 5Search. Type RDT to shorten the list.
6. 6The list. Click a name and it drops into the expression where the cursor is.
7. 7Preview. The same expression with names instead of codes. Read this line, always.
8. 8Valid. Green. If it says anything else, fix it before leaving.
9. 9DONE. Keeps the numerator.

The denominator is the value below the calculation line.

Denominator
    =
Malaria Suspected Cases

12345

1. 1Description. People tested for malaria.
2. 2The expression. RDT Tested plus Microscopy Tested, so every test counts once.
3. 3Preview. Check that the two elements here are the tests, not the positives.
4. 4Valid. Green again.
5. 5DONE. Keeps the denominator. For a plain count, the whole expression would be 1.

The factor converts the ratio into the desired unit.

1234

1. 1Name. Per cent. Do not create a second type with the same meaning.
2. 2Factor. 100. The indicator value is numerator divided by denominator, times this.
3. 3Number. Ticked, because the result is a number rather than a yes or no.
4. 4SAVE. Only needed if you had to create the type.

An indicator does not carry its own aggregation operator. It inherits the aggregation of the data elements inside it, which is why Topic 1 set every malaria data element to Sum.