Issues Surrounding Adoption of Electronic Health Records in the Zambia Defence Force: A Case Study of Kalewa Urban Health Centre
Abstract:
The objective of the study was to assess the
effectiveness of the Electronic Health Records system (EHR) and the level of adoption
by health facility personnel.
This study was conducted between January and June,
2019 at Kalewa Urban Health Center in Ndola, Zambia. This was a pilot secondary case study before EHRs could be rolled out to
other facilities. Fifty-six (n=56) representing 94.9% of facility staff.
06
(10.7%) had previously been using EHRs in HIV Clinic before the training under review.
44 (78.6%) of respondents preferred e-first based practice while 12 (21.4%) preferred
e-last based practice. 51 (91%) respondents argued that it was not possible to do
away with paper-based practice. 38 (67.9%) respondents agreed that members of the
community appreciated EHRs use.
The advantages associated with use of EHRs were appreciated
by every health worker. Each service point had personnel trained with emphasis to
the role each department plays at the facility. The study produced positive results
and recommendations would be used to ensure that use of EHRs produced the desired
results. The experiences of Kalewa Urban Health Center would be useful as the program
is extended to other Defence Force facilities.
Keywords:
Electronic Health Records, Defence Force, Logistics Management
Information System, Health Management Information Systems, SmartCare.
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