Influence of Information Technology Literacy on the Performance of Health Information Management Professionals in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Anambra State
Chapter One
Objective Of Study:
The general objective of this study is to examine the influence of information technology literacy on the performance of health information management professionals in NUTH Umuahia, Anambra State, Nigeria.
Specific Objectives of The Study
The following were the specific objectives that guided this research. They include to:
- To determine the IT knowledge of health information management professionals in the health facilities.
- To determine the utilization and perception of health information management professionals in the health facilities towards electronic health records.
- Find out the challenges of information technology literacy on the performance of health information management professionals in NUTH Umuahia, Anambra State, Nigeria.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
This study of the literature discusses the historical background and current state of the health information management systems in Nigeria. The infrastructure needs for integrating information technology into health record management practices, as well as the associated costs, were the main topics of discussion. The Nigerian scenario in relation to the subpar deployment of hospital information systems was the focus of a sizable amount of the literature review. Corruption, a lack of technical support services, and a lack of support infrastructure are all issues that are brought up in relation to Nigeria.
Electronic Health Records Systems
For consumers, providers, insurers, and other entities with an interest in health and healthcare, health information technology (HIT) refers to a variety of technologies that transmit and handle health information. The focus of this study is on handling and storing patient data. Despite the fact that these technologies comprise a wide variety of systems, many of them are well-known to doctors, such as the computerized reporting and storage of test findings, which enables clinicians to communicate patient data across institutional and geographical boundaries. Although all HIT types are necessary, particular attention should be paid to EHR, personal health records (PHR), and clinical data exchanges (CDE) due to their potential importance for health care services. The EHR is the piece of technology that has the biggest impact on how doctors and other healthcare professionals carry out their regular tasks. The Institute of Medicine defines an EHR as a system that performs a variety of tasks electronically (Blumenthal & Tavenner, 2010).
Electronic Health Records
Many nations have widespread usage of electronic health records, while definitions and the scope of coverage vary. It is well recognized as a longitudinal health record with entries made by healthcare professionals at several locations where care is currently provided. All of the data found in a traditional health record, including a patient’s health profile and behavioral and environmental data, are currently included in the USA definition of an EHR. The EHR management system’s content also allows for time measurement, which enables the addition of data from various occurrences and beneficiaries and eventually develops into a lifetime record (Amatayaku & Mon, 2004).
Electronic Health Records Management Systems Benefits
Some health care providers discussed the high costs of preliminary capital investment for applying EHR in organizations. However, considering the benefits of implementing an EHR management system that can offset expenses involved in repairs, regular training of staff, and system upgrading, it is worthwhile to invest in it. EHR management systems provide many benefits to the government and health care providers as a whole. It can be accessed from multiple locations and units within the enterprise. Therefore, the time of accessing the patient’s medical record is reduced; hence, productivity will increase, and the quality of care will improve. At the same time, it will allow applying the best clinical practices, especially in decision making.
EHR also gives advantages to clinical procedures like better chart access, improvement of clinical decision making, disease management, documentation enhancement, and increasing the free time spent with patients, which improves the perception of care and quality of work life. For example, the preliminary test results of the decision support system (DSS) in drug management and disease management emphasized clinical processes. Moreover, specific advantages for physicians are:
- Information, such as medical and family history, clinical history, vital signs, the visit duration, complaints, and recent lab test results are organized in proper format and easily retrieved,
- The system prompts the physician to ask the right questions, reviews medications updates information, and checks to see whether screening and monitoring tests are completed on schedule,
- Prescriptions and patient education materials can be printed with the click of a button (Andrews, 2003).
EHR can also empower individuals and communities by providing timely and understandable health-related information. With data available in real-time, the evidence-based would be strengthened and help decision-makers formulate effective health policies and monitor SDGs. In addition, it enables innovation through research, improves governance in the health industry, mobilizes new resources and ensures accountability in their use; strengthening national and health information systems will also require a collaborative effort (HMIS Need Assessment Report, 2003).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem. It may be understood as a science of studying how research is done. It refers to the various procedures, methods and instrumentation, which data are sourced, specified, defined, collected, processed and analyzed. It provides scaffolding for the validation, proper interpretation and analysis of research data. It treats issues on the source of data, target population, sampling in terms of research techniques, research population and sample.
This chapter discusses the study under the following headings: Study design, study area, study population, sampling techniques, sample size calculation, instrument for data collection, validity and reliability of instrument, method of data collection, method of data analysis, ethical consideration
Research Design
Research design is the process of identifying variables and their relationship to one another. Thus, the instrument for this research was well-structured questionnaires which were used in accordance with the objectives of this study. It also involved interviews. The reliability of this method lies in the fact that the verbal and non-verbal responses of the respondents are recorded and questions outside the ones already listed can be asked.
The study adopted descriptive survey design because, it focuses on observation and perception of the existing situation, describes and interprets the issues, conditions, practice or relationship that exist; views, belief and attitude that are held, processes that are going on and trends that are developing. The research approach is purely quantitative with a questionnaire survey method. Quantitative research approach with a questionnaire survey method were used because there is a time limit to gather or collect data for the study.
A survey research studies a small sample from a large population from where inferences would be drawn about the characteristics of the defined population. This research design conforms to the characteristics of the survey research described above. Therefore, the survey research provides conceptual and methodological design for investigating the problem of the study.
Population of the Study
The population for the study comprised of all the registered and licensed health/medical practitioners (i.e Health Information Managers, Nurses, Doctors and Others health/medical practitioners) in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Hospital, Umuahia, Anambra State. The targeted population of this study was the entire Health/Medical practitioners of the surveyed institution. In order to ensure efficiency in the level of work done, the method used and all the detailed acquired are limited as a result of time and capital in addition to other constraints. The study was limited to health/medical practitioners (i.e. Health Information Managers, Nurses, Doctors and Others health/medical practitioners) in University of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Hospital, Umuahia, Anambra State.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION ANALYSIS FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
INTRODUCTION
This chapter contains the findings obtained from the field survey. The data for the study were collected through the use of questionnaire which was distributed to the respondents and analyzed in order to have insight information on the influence of information technology literacy on the performance of health information management professionals in NUTH Umuahia, Anambra State, Nigeria.
The collected data were analyzed so as to obtain and discuss its findings especially as it relates to the researcher′s questions and objective using descriptive statistics. This analysis involves the collation of data received from administered questionnaires and conducted interviews. Raw data is inputted and transformed into statistical figures for graphical manipulation and the opinion of each personnel involved in the data gathering process. It was illustrated by means of tables and charts using Statistical Packages for Social Scientist (SPSS).
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Introduction
The rapid advance of IT in healthcare settings has accentuated the importance of addressing the shortcomings of current health record integration practices. This matter is made worse by the regulatory gap between implementing new and emerging ICT, and managing the security risk the latter represents. Other problems include poor data quality and fragmentation, budgetary constraints, irreconcilable systems architecture, a history of incompatible data standards, confusing privacy jurisdictions and a lack of access to proven evaluation results. This research argues that it is of crucial importance that technology innovation in health is associated with the incorporation of Information Technology (IT) for establishing secure health record integration.
Summary
The analysis of mechanism put in place for influence of information Technology (IT) in health information management in NUTH, Umuahia revealed that care in handling hospital health records, confidentiality of health records, security of health records and avoidance of water contact/bad weather are major mechanism employed in the hospital. The major challenges faced in use of IT in health information managements in surveyed hospital are poor funding, inadequate computer and other ICT devices, poor skill in computing, harsh environmental conditions, lack of preservation and conservation policy.
Conclusion
Influence of information Technology (IT) in health information management is an integral part of medical/ healthcare service delivery as it goes a long way in enhancing better service delivery as well as serving as a basis for following patient health trend overtime. It also serves as a basis for effecting referral service. Hence effort should be made to ensure regular preservation and management of records in medical centers/hospital.
The knowledge and skill of IT should be used on the hospital staff through training and re-training, formulation of health record management policies, infrastructural development, proper funding, computer skill training, etc as these would help in ameliorating the problem of poor hospital record preservation and management and its attendant’s negative impact on health care delivery.
Recommendations
In view of the above findings, the following recommendations were made for management of the institutions and to the entire health institutions in Anambra and Nigeria at large. The following aspects should be improved for better operation of health information management in the future:
- Management of health institutions should inject more financial resources into the organization in order to solve the problem of inadequate funding of the health information management. It takes real money to acquire and maintain good health information management.
- Capital should be injected into provision of infrastructure and acquisition of modern equipment that would facilitate and sustain the general health condition of their patients. These could help in saving cost and manpower on the long run.
- Management of health institutions should intensify their efforts in encouraging their health workers to maintain good handling care of records; while some of the paper based records should be microfilmed in order to sustain their durability.
- Management of the health institution need to training the health/medical practitioners
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