A Study of the Effect of Health Records Digitalization on Healthcare Facility Operational Efficiency

Abstract

Historically, public health spending has consistently accounted for a substantial portion of government expenditure. In line with the 2022 national budget allocation analysis conducted by the Policy Monitoring and Research Centre, it was revealed that over 13 billion kwacha had been allocated to health services. As society continued to age and exerted a growing strain on healthcare systems, healthcare stakeholders actively sought solutions to address pressing concerns, including cost management, data quality, and overall efficiency. The study hypothesized that digitizing medical health records would improve overall health care facility operational efficiency by improving access to patient information, streamlining workflows, reducing documentation errors, and improving communication among healthcare stakeholders. Furthermore, the study aimed to identify potential implementation challenges and barriers, providing valuable insights for healthcare institutions looking to adopt or optimize their EHR systems. The research design used a survey-based approach with a sample size of 150 respondents from ten public health care facilities in Lusaka using an EHR such as SmartCare or paper- based records. The respondents included healthcare professionals, health facility administrators, and data entry clerk personnel. The primary data collection instrument used was a structured questionnaire that targeted key facility operational efficiency indicators such as time efficiency, workflow optimization, documentation accuracy, information accessibility and cost efficiency. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS and Microsoft Excel software. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize and interpret survey responses, while inferential statistics were used to establish relationships and correlations between variables. The study’s findings were presented in tables, graphs, and charts, allowing for a thorough understanding of the findings. The results collected and analyzed highlight the significance of addressing these issues to guarantee the successful implementation and utilization of EHRs in healthcare facilities, ultimately resulting in enhanced patient care and operational efficiency. The study’s findings add to the growing body of literature on the benefits and challenges of health records digitization in healthcare settings, particularly in Lusaka. The findings provide valuable recommendations for healthcare administrators, policymakers, and IT professionals on how to effectively leverage the benefits of digitized health records to improve operational efficiency and, ultimately, patient care.