An Investigation of E-Records Management at the University of Zambia Clinic in the Working of Smart Care

Abstract

Lack of electronic records management in most of the health care facilities in the country is a challenge even after the introduction of the SmartCare system. On the other hand, there is a huge interest by the health care facilities to produce health personnel with good electronic record management culture. However, most of the ministry of health does not offer enough support in grooming health personnel from various health care facilities in terms of skills training on how to manage electronic records using the SmartCare system. The general objective of this research was to investigate e-records management at the University of Zambia Clinic in the work of SmartCare. The research design adopted in this study was the Mixed Method Design. This research used both qualitative and quantitative approaches because of the nature of the objectives. The sample size for the study included 11 respondents which included 6 nurses, 3 pharmacists, 2 doctors. In addition, the study only used interview guides as its major data collection instrument and the researchers used purposive sampling technique, this method involves identifying key informants who will give vital information about the study. The researchers selected various individuals on a judgmental basis with an assumption that these officials will provide information that will be helpful to the study. Despite the SmartCare system being introduced at the University of Zambia Clinic, it has not been effectively promoted because lack of proper technical training of the staff among others. E- records management has been promoted to a smaller extent and not to a greater extent in the sense that the research findings show that treatment of patients has been made easy, confidentiality of patients’ records and adequate space has been created in offices among others. However, most of the staff lack exposure to more practical knowledge of e-records management needed for them to be effective in University of Zambia Clinic. Furthermore, the main problem faced by the institution is virus and technical malfunction, inadequate funds to manage the SmartCare system, inadequate funds to purchase new SmartCare cards and lack of proper training of the service providers.