Evaluation of an ICD logging system to supplement an EMR in a Sub-Saharan country

Abstract

Adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs) has been spotty and sluggish in the world, including the United States, despite the multiple benefits of medical technology and informatics. Though there are difficulties in establishing and maintaining an EMR system in a developing country, it is not impossible. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) Logger, called CREDO (Clinical Rotation Evaluation and Documentation Organizer), developed by Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM), provides a straightforward, economical EMR system to use in a developing country, such as Ghana. However, with a recently established EMR system developed locally and being used at the target new hospital, Healthwise Medical Center, the aim of the study was to use the common medical documentation language of the World Health Organization (WHO) ICD-10 codes to add value to the local EMR. This demonstration enabled the comparison of medical encounters in Ghana to those in the United States, specifically in Appalachia where VCOM students typically do their clinical rotations. We also evaluated the issues and tested the CREDO ICD Logger as a simple, stand-alone EMR system. Therefore, by collecting ICD data twice weekly from Ghana, a data point in Sub-Saharan Africa, it became possible to compare a public health snapshot of developing countries and sites in the United States.