Effects of Health Records Management on Health Service Delivery: A case study of the Prestea Government Hospital. (PGH)

Abstract

Background: The most crucial instrument when discussing patient healthcare are medical records. Both their management and their utilization are crucial for patient care management. Ghana has used many medical records management systems to aid in healthcare development. Retrospective and epidemiological investigations are slowed down by poor data quality, which inhibits research. As expectations have grown, more initiatives to capture and save patient records electronically are planned. Aim: The purpose of the study is to investigate the perception of health worker about the EHRs use and impact on service delivery. Materials and methods: The study's focus is on the health workers at Prestea Government Hospital (PGH), which include nurses, physicians, biotechnologists, Health Information Manager, pharmacists, midwives, etc. A sample size of 100 people from the intended audience was used. Standardized questionnaires were self-completed by respondent. The Completed questionnaires were given numbers to protect participants anonymity. Participants received sufficient information regarding their right to decline study participation and to withdraw at any time without repercussions. Data was entered into Excel and exported to SPSS for analysis. Descriptive and inferential analysis was performed and the outcomes were shown as tables, graphs, and figures. Results: In all, out of 100 respondents, 35% of them were males and 65% were women. There were a lot of female replies since many of the respondents were nurses. Medical laboratory technicians comprised the smallest proportion of the workforce (5%) of all occupational groups. Prestea Government Hospital survey respondents overwhelmingly concur that electronic health records (EHRs) aid in the delivery of treatment. According to a survey, medical practitioners think the facility's EHR has all of the forms that are utilized there. The idea that the facility's EHRs help with data collection is accepted by few people. Medical professionals believe that the use of EHRs makes it simple to obtain historical patient data. This is so that all information may be easily accessed while undergoing medical treatment and kept securely saved. The system features alarms that play when erroneous data is entered. Although the system features pre-programmed commands that allow for uninterrupted navigation, there are frequently disruptions due to power fluctuations. Conclusion: Access to patients' medical records via an electronic health information system platform is crucial for making medical decisions that will result in effective care delivery in healthcare facilities, lower the risk of treatment errors, decrease patient waiting times, and lower the number of medical errors, a study has found.