Jobson, Geoffrey A.Murphy, JoshuaVan Huyssteen, MeaMyburgh, HanlieHurter, TheunisGrobbelaar, Cornelis J.Struthers, Helen E.McIntyre, James A.Peters, Remco P.H.2018-10-302018-09Jobson, G., Murphy, J., Van Huyssteen, M. et al. 2018, 'Understanding health worker data use in a South African antiretroviral therapy register', Tropical Medicine and International Health, NYP.1360-2276 (print)1365-3156 (online)10.1111/tmi.13146http://hdl.handle.net/2263/67107OBJECTIVE : To evaluate how electronic data management systems affect data use practices in antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs within local health districts, and individual health facilities. METHODS : We used a data quality audit to establish a baseline of the quality of data in the electronic register alongside in‐depth interviews with health workers and managers, to understand perceptions of data quality, data use by facility staff and challenges affecting data use. RESULTS : The findings provide a four‐level continuum of data use that can be applied to other settings and recommendations for optimising facility‐level data use. CONCLUSION : By defining four levels of data use our findings suggest the potential to encourage a structured process of moving from passive data use, to more active and engaged data use, where data could be used to anticipate patient behaviour and link that behaviour to differentiated care plans.en© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article : 'Understanding health worker data use in a South African antiretroviral therapy register', Tropical Medicine and International Health, vol. , no. , pp. , 2018, doi : 10.1111/tmi.13146. The definite version is available at : http://onlinelibrary.wiley.comjournal/10.1111/(ISSN)1365-3156Antiretroviral therapy (ART)Electronic data management systemsData use practicesLocal health districtsIndividual health facilitiesData auditsData qualityElectronic registerHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV)MonitoringEvaluationHealth care personnelPerceptionStaffUnderstanding health worker data use in a South African antiretroviral therapy registerPostprint Article