The Roles of Health Information Management in Reducing Medical Errors (A Case Study of Military Hospital Lagos (MHL)
Chapter One
Research Objectives
General Objective
The general objective of this study was to assess the impact of electronic health information management system in reducing medical errors at Military Hospital in Lagos state
Specific Objectives
The study had the following specific objectives;
- To assess the effectiveness of electronic health information management system in reducing medical errors at Military Hospital in Lagos state
- To identify factors affecting the implementation of electronic health information management system in reducing medical errors at Military Hospital in Lagos state
- To analyse the relationship between electronic health information management system and reducing medical errors at Military Hospital in Lagos state
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
This chapter presents a review of the literature related to the impact of electronic health information management system in reducing medical errors. The chapter involves the definitions of concepts, theoretical and empirical literature review, conceptual framework as well as the research gap.
Definition of Concepts
Electronic health information management system
An electronic health information management system is the systematized collection of patient and population electronically stored health information in a digital format. These records can be shared across different health care settings. Records are shared through network-connected, enterprise-wide information systems or other information networks and exchanges (Poissant, Pereira, Tamblyn and Kawasumi, 2005).
Reducing medical errors
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A reducing medical errors is the organized response of health service providers to the health problems of its customers. Effective health service delivery means integrated Primary Health Care services, providing a continuum of care with effective linkages between different levels of care through functional referral systems. (Zee et al., 2004).
Theoretical Literature Review
Theories are formulated to explain, predict, and understand phenomena and to challenge and extend existing knowledge within the limits of critical bounding assumptions. This study will be guided by Queuing Theory and the Normalization process theory (NPT)
Queuing Theory
The main idea of this theory is based on the arithmetic assessment of waiting line of services delivery processing (Magenda, 2015). The theory is structured to facilitate a prediction of the time an individual will take while waiting the service on line. Queuing theory has its origins in research by Agner Erlang a Danish engineer who worked for Copenhagen Telephone Exchanged in 1909. He modeled the number of telephone calls arriving at an exchange. The ideas have since seen applications including telecommunication, traffic engineering, computing and the design of factories, shops,
offices and hospitals (Ndubi, 2016). Practical applications of queuing theory include providing faster customer service, improving traffic flow and shipping orders efficiently from a warehouse. Being able to control inventory in an optimal manner Service providers improve efficiencies and ultimately their bottom lines. This kind of efficiency is not limited to large multinational enterprises; even hospitals and other small to medium businesses are able to leverage these advanced queuing techniques to improve their inventory handling processes. Queuing also helps with allocation of equipment and personnel (Yu,Tang and Fu,2013). This theory was relevant to the study under investigation because it helped in understanding the impact of electronic health information management system in reducing medical errors at Military Hospital in Lagos state.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter describes the research methodology which includes: research design, area of study, research approach, population, sample, sampling techniques, sample size, data collection methods, primary data, secondary data, data analysis technique, reliability and validity of the instruments and ethical considerations.
Research Design
Akhtar (2016) defined a survey design as an approach that provides a quantitative or numeric description of trends, attitudes, or opinions of a population by studying a sample of that population. This study employed the survey research design. The design was useful in this study since it was used to explain the existence of two or more variables at a given point. Thus in this study the design was used to explain the relationship between electronic health information management system and health care service delivery at Military Hospital in Lagos state. In this regard, survey research design helped the researcher to achieve the main objective of the study.
Research Approach
The study employed a quantitative research approach. According to Kothari (2004), quantitative approach is based on the measurement of quantity and amount. Quantitative approach is the mathematical method of measuring and describing the observation of materials or characteristics. Quantitative methods involve the processes of collecting, analyzing, interpreting and writing the results of a study using various designs including survey and experimental research design. Quantitative research is a means for testing objective theories by examining relationships among variables which can be measured by instruments, so that numbered data can be analyzed using specific statistical procedures. Therefore, this approach were useful as it required little time in the data collection process as well as covered large groups in a short period and it enabled the researcher to collect numerical data from respondents. The collected data were quantitatively analyzed and presented.
Population, Sample and Sampling Techniques
Population
Population of the study refers to the population to which a researcher wants to generalize the results of the study. The population may involve a larger group of people, institution or things that has one or more characteristics in common on which a study focuses. It consists of all cases of individuals or elements that fit a certain specification (Debois (2018). In this study, the targeted population were the employees from Military Hospital. The total population of employees at Military Hospital is 210.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
Introduction
The main objective of this study was to assess the impact of electronic health information management system in reducing medical errors at Military Hospital in Lagos state. The study had the following specific objectives; to assess the effectiveness of electronic health information management system in reducing medical errors at Military Hospital in Lagos state, to identify factors affecting the implementation of electronic health information management system in reducing medical errors at Military Hospital in Lagos state and to analyse the relationship between electronic health information management system and reducing medical errors at Military Hospital in Lagos state.
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Introduction
Findings indicated that electronic health information management system were effective in reducing medical errors as it promoted easy sharing of information, promotes transparency and time serving, ensured security of information, proper data management, promotes customer satisfaction and enhance efficiency. Findings further found that shortage of ICT personnel, reluctance of some employees to adopt the electronic information system and negative attitude of the system users, system sometimes is not faster, inadequate ICT infrastructure, sometimes information can be hacked, complexity of the system, unreliable hardware or software platforms were perceived as factors affecting the implementation of electronic health information management system in reducing medical errors. Finally, findings revealed that there is a significant relationship between electronic health information management system and the reducing medical errors at Military Hospital in Lagos state. Therefore, the null hypothesis is rejected and the alternative one is accepted.
The researcher faced the following limitations while conducting this study; First, time allocated to conduct the research was limited thus the researcher had no enough time to explore all the information about the study under investigation. However, the researcher managed to schedule her time and collected adequate information about the study. Second, the researcher was limited in getting respondents on time because during data collection head of departments and employees of Military Hospital were busy with their daily activities. To overcome this limitation, the researcher asked for appointment prior to data collection. This allowed respondents to allocate time which were convenient to answer questionnaire form.
Conclusions
On the basis of data presentation made in chapter four, the following conclusions were made from this study.
- Through electronic health information management system at Military Hospital it was easy in sharing of information, promotion of transparency and time serving thus promoted reducing medical errors.
- There were various factors affecting the implementation of electronic health information management system in reducing medical errors such as shortage of ICT personnel, reluctance of some employees to adopt the electronic information system and negative attitude of the system users, system sometimes is not faster, inadequate ICT infrastructure, sometimes information can be hacked, complexity of the system, unreliable hardware or software platforms.
- The study concluded that there was an existence of relationship between electronic health information management system and reducing medical errors at Military Hospital in Lagos state.
Recommendations
From the study findings, the following recommendations were made on the basis of the conclusions made;
- Due to its significance in reducing medical errors, the government should invest more on electronic health information management system. This should also be applied to other public institutions for effective service delivery.
- The Military Hospital Management and the government as well should put more efforts to address challenges affecting the implementation of electronic health information management system in health care service including having more ICT personnel.
- More training and capacity building on the uses of the system should be applied to make sure that system users are aware and they use it effectively so as to achieve the expected results
REFERENCES
- Adeleke, I.T., Lawal, A.H., Adio, R.A. and Adebisi, A.A., 2015. Information technology skills and training needs of health information management professionals in Nigeria: a nationwide study. Health Information Management Journal, 44(1), pp.30-38.
- Adler-Milstein, J., DesRoches, C.M., Kralovec, P., Foster, G., Worzala, C., Charles, D., Searcy, T. and Jha, A.K., 2015. Electronic health record adoption in US hospitals: progress continues, but challenges persist. Health affairs, 34(12), pp.2174-2180
- Akhtar, I, 2016. Research Design. Research in Social Science: Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308915548_Research_Design/citation/downlo ad
- Blerkom, M.L, 2009.Measurement and Statistics for Teachers. New York: Routledge
- Bowman, S., 2013. Impact of electronic health record systems on information integrity: quality and safety implications. Perspectives in health information management, 10(Fall).
- Bowman, S., 2013. Impact of electronic health record systems on information integrity: quality and safety implications. Perspectives in health information management, 10(Fall).
