Examining a medical records filing system at china Uganda Friendship Hospital

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the Medical Records Filing Systems at China Uganda Friendship Hospital in order to enable staff to file information securely and retrieve it efficiently. The objectives of the study were to; find out the types of medical records generated, examine the current medical records filing system, identify the challenges of the medical records filing system, and identify the measures to improve medical records filing system and to develop a medical records filing system for China Uganda Friendship Hospital.

The study used a case study research design while adopting both quantitative and qualitative research approaches in data collection. Purposive sampling was used to select the two (2) records staff and seventeen (17) medical staff at China Uganda Friendship Hospital who participated in the study. Questionnaire, interview, observation and document analysis methods were used to collect data from the respondents.

The study established that the different types of records managed were; referral letters, personal records, radiography records, surgery records, patient files and patient drug records. China Uganda Friendship Hospital uses manual system in filing of their medical records and indicated that medical records were retrieved manually, using patients’ visiting cards together with folder matching numbers.

The challenges in the records filing system were; time consuming, misplacement of the files, tiresomeness with the system and the poor files handling and partly storage of the medical records. The suggestions to improve were; digitize its records and use an automated system to manage the medical records, training of the medical officers on how to manage the medical records, and the need to use a file plan and to purchase more computers.

The study concluded that; there is a need to train the medical staff on how to manage the medical records at China Uganda Friendship Hospital, purchase more computers, adopt to the new technologies in the management of medical and digitalize all the medical records and develop a medical records filing system.

The study recommended that; China Uganda Friendship Hospital should implement the developed Medical Records Filing System, train its entire staff on the best records management practices, design a records management policy, expand its storage space to meet the ever increasing volumes of medical records, purchase more computers to help in the management of electronic records and digitize all the medical records.