Developing guidelines for the digitisation of manual medical records at Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital

Abstract

This study was conducted in Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital in the medical records department focusing on developing guidelines for the digitization of manual medical records. The study was based on different objectives like to find out the types of records generated, received, and kept, to find out the criteria to be used in the selection of manual medical records for digitisation at especially the medical records department, to examine the technologies and equipment that can be used for digitization of manual medical records, to examine the challenges that can be faced during the digitization of manual medical records and to develop guidelines for digitizing manual medical records at ERRH. The study was conducted using a case study research design that is qualitative approach and data was gathered from a sample of 6 respondents selected purposively from hospital departments‟ staff like the medical records department, inpatient and outpatient department using an Interview guide and observation guide. The study found that there were no clear guidelines and manuals followed in the digitisation of medical records at the records department of ERRH which failed to initiate their digitisation system, misallocation of medical files, and, large volumes of backlogs in the office spaces. In addition, the department also experiences other challenges which include; understaffing, inadequate storage and inadequate skills possessed by staff and this have greatly impacted the efficiency and effectiveness of health records management in the hospital.The study proposed some solutions to confine the challenges experienced, including training records management staff, provision of adequate funds, recruitment of qualified staff, and purchase of standardized equipment. The above study results equipped us with information that we used to develop a digitisation manual that consists of well-established guidelines that will facilitate the efficient and effective digitisation of medical records at the records department of ERRH.The project resulted into Developing Guidelines for the Digitization of Manual Medical Records at Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital