Effects of Technology Utilization on Health Services Delivery in Lagos State
Chapter One
Objective of the study
The following objectives will be ascertained;
- To ascertain the knowledge and attitude of staff towards the use of ICT on health service delivery at University of Lagos teaching hospital
- To ascertain the efficient and effective is the use of ICT on health service delivery at University of Lagos teaching Hospital
- To ascertain the factors opposed against the application of ICT on health service delivery at University of Lagos teaching hospital
- To find out the perception of health workers on the use of technology on health service delivery at University of Lagos teaching hospital
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Information and Communication Technologies
ICTs have been defined as any product that will store, retrieve, manipulate, transmit or receive information electronically in a digital form (Hughes et al., 2002). ICTs are divided into old/conventional and new ICTs. The old ones include radio, television, newspapers and magazines, while the new ones include computers, telefaxes, telephones, CD-ROMs, cable television and satellite systems. Literature identifies the conventional ICTs with the term media technology, and the new ones with information technology. This study is about the new ICTs. In the study, sometimes the term new ICTs is used interchangeably with new media to mean the same thing. When the new ICTs made their entry, there were predictions that they would replace the conventional ones (Williams et al., 1988: xi). However, far from doing this, the new ICTs are complementing the conventional. They enable the provision of other communication services that were once inaccessible or costly.
The new ICTs focused on in this study are computers. Although they are ICTs in their own right, computers are integral parts of most modern telecommunication systems. Some of the world’s most sophisticated computers serve as ‘switches’ for major communications networks. Furthermore, miniaturised computer-like components enable the operation of most transmission and receiver technologies, ranging from telephones to television sets (ibid.: 7). There are different kinds of computers, and they include personal computers, laptops and handheld computers. It is the handheld computers that are the subject of this study.
Health Management Information System
The term Health Management Information System (HMIS) refers to a system of generating health information, which information is primarily used to support management decisions, especially for resource allocation.11 It is used in determining how to prioritise resources for health services. According to Uganda’s Health Unit Procedures Manual (MoH, 2001: 1), the health management information collected in the country is used to improve the ability of health units to provide optimal preventive and curative care. The information can be collected manually, using paper, or automatically, using computers. Computers are becoming indispensable in record keeping, inventory and other aspects of management information systems in hospitals and other organisations (Bell, 1999: xxxvii). The long-term goal of the HMIS is to optimise health care delivery and achieve health for all. To achieve these goals, the HMIS process must provide accurate, timely and relevant information.
Theoretical Framework
Communication for development has emerged as a specific field in media studies, born out of the belief that communication processes can be used to improve and/or change people’s livelihoods, thus contributing to development. Scholars reason that communication media can be used as agents of development, since information is one of the prerequisites of socio-economic development (Moemeka, 1994; White et al., 1994; Pool, 1990).
Wilbur Schramm and Daniel Lerner kicked off investigations into the traditional media’s place in development, but one of the first people to research on the new ICTs was Edwin
Parker (Williams et al., 1988: 29). He had pioneered research on computers and communicationsatellites. He pointed out, for instance, that field experiments on development communication in Third World nations seldom explained more than 10% or 20% of the variance of such dependent variables as knowledge about, and adoption of, health and agricultural innovations. In contrast, he might explain 70% to 80% of the variance in health adoption behaviour in studies of two-way satellite radio communication linking Eskimo and Indian villagers in Alaska with medical expertise. Therefore instead of accepting communication technology as a given, Parker considered it as a variable that communication scholars could control, influence and study (ibid.).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought to examine the effect of technology utilization on health services delivery in Lagos state.
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
- Primary source and
- Secondary source
- Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in gathering information relevant to the examine the effect of technology utilization on health services delivery in Lagos state. Two hundred (200) staffs of University of Lagos teaching hospital were selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION OF DATA
One hundred and sixty (160) questionnaires were distributed and one hundred and forty (133) were returned. This figure was the sample size. Out of the one hundred and thirty-three, only one hundred and twenty (120) were properly responded to. As a result, the researcher used one hundred and twenty for this study when more than 50% of the respondents agree to the questions, the answer is taken as valid for the purpose of this study. In analyzing the data, the approach that will be adopted is to find out the percentage and positive and negative answers to the question posed.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain effect of technology utilization on health service delivery
In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of effect of technology utilization on health service delivery
Summary
This study was on effect of technology utilization on health service delivery. Using University of Lagos teaching hospital as a case study. Four objectives were raised which included: To ascertain the knowledge and attitude of staff towards the use of ICT on health service delivery at University of Lagos teaching hospital, to ascertain the efficient and effective is the use of ICT on health service delivery at University of Lagos teaching Hospital, to ascertain the factors opposed against the application of ICT on health service delivery at University of Lagos teaching hospital and to find out the perception of health workers on the use of technology on health service delivery at University of Lagos teaching hospital. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made up of doctors, nurses, administrative staffs and lab technicians were used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
The primary objective of the study was to assess the effects of technology utilization on health service delivery at University of Lagos teaching hospital. Generally, the respondents had appreciable knowledge and attitude towards ICT use as they rated their skills as good. However, the study limitation had to do with the researcher’s acquaintance with the hospital and the district, where perhaps there is bound to be a recall bias but tried as much as possible not to let it influence the research.
Recommendation
1) Software applications are made more user-friendly by incorporating value added functions like automated reports, prompts and alerts.
2) Explore alternative sources of power supply for example solar or wind power.
3) Ministry of Health formulates policies that provide the structures for implementation of ICT in health care institutions in Nigeria
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