Assessment of records storage and retrieval at Buwambo Health Centre IV

Abstract

The study “assessment of the storage and retrieval of records” was carried out at Buwamba. Health centre IV found in Nansana Municipality, Wakiso district. It aimed at identifying the types of records. Examine the records storage and retrieval. Challenges in records storage and retrieval. Challenges in records storage and retrieval and propose strategies for improvement of records storage and use interviews and observation to collect data from 6 respondents selected purposively among Buwambo health centre staff. It found out that several records are kept at Buwambo health centre IV among which included. Medical records such as face sheets, admission forms, radiology reports, imaging reports , Labatory and test results, clinical notes, administrative records like monthly reports, contracts , appointment letters, minutes, policies, financial records such as receipts, accounts received. Legal records like policy statements, publc service codes codes of conduct. All these records were confirmed to be paper based with very few electronic and multimedia records. The study also discovered that records storage of records of records at Buwambo health centre IV piled in doctors’ offices and a few shelves in a small room used as the storage room. While storage is poor, retrieval is even far way harder as it can take past hours to locate a file. Manual retrieval system is used no retrieval tools at all. Challenges such as lack of suffient support from management (ministry of health) in terms of adequate finances and technical manpower, limited storage space, limited equipment’s. Few staff, lack of professional records staff were identified as by products of limited finances. They study however, come up with recommendations for improvement of the storage and retrieval of records such as increment of financing, enlargement or building of a standard records management unit or room, development of a records management policy and programme and sensitizing management and top administrators on the importance and value of records management.