HOSPITAL STATISTICS AS A MEASURE OF EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF HOSPITAL RESOURCES IN OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL, ILE-IFE, OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the significance of hospital statistics in measuring effectiveness of hospital resources in Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife, Osun State. The study made use of secondary sources of data where the basic hospital statistics such as daily admissions, discharges, deaths, patients’ days, average census/ average daily bed occupied, patients’ average length of stay, percentage of occupancy, turnover interval and daily attendance. The study showed that major hindrances for effective statistics in the hospital lack of understanding of the fundamental usefulness of statistics in planning, research, training and budgeting for national sustainable development. This study identified low level of understanding of the significance of statistics. Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations are suggested for policy implementation: This study identified low level of understanding of the significance of statistics, hence, there is need for more awareness creation on the importance of statistics among members of the hospital that are involved in the completion and submission of the various forms where hospital statistics are generated through seminars, conferences and workshops Health information officers and other units such as the laboratories and the nursing departments need to be re-educated on the need for timely submission of statistics generated in the various units and sections. The hospital management needs to formulate policies that will support accurate and complete statistics from the various units that can be used for effective planning and informed decision making. The hospital management should endeavour to motivate the units and department that submit their reports promptly for collation in the form of training and other incentive that will encourage the same spirit among the concerned units and department respectively.