Assessment and Use Of Electronic Medical Records At The Airport Clinic, Greater Accra Region

ABSTRACT Introduction Electronic medical record (EMR) systems, have the potential of improving the quality and reliability of health information and communication and the overall quality of healthcare services in the healthcare system. Reliable health information leads to timely health policies and planning, which improves the general health status of a country, as well as, serving as a vital element for individual health facilities in managing and improving healthcare delivery. The key objective of this research is to assess the EMR system implementation and use at the Airport Clinic Limited. Method The study employed an institutional cross sectional quantitative research design using a complete census method of active users of the system for data collection. The population for this study was 43 respondents from the different units and department in the facility. Data obtained were summarized as frequencies and percentages using STATA software. Results Welch's t-test is designed for unequal variances, was used to test for user satisfaction which clearly indicated that user satisfaction was very low, and estimated 28.9% [95% CI: 27.6 – 30.1] and no statistical significance of the sociodemographic group of the study. About 67% of respondents indicated that EMR made it easier for the users to retrieve patients past medical records. Some disagreed that the transition from paper-base to EMR was not beneficial to their daily work. Majority of the users agreed that one main experience they can still appreciate is  the support that was available for all the participants during the implementation preparations at the facility. Some challenges identified by users of the system that was affecting the implementation process include, system goes off most times and internet fluctuations and staff shortage. Conclusion Electronic Medical Records System assessment and use has been successful because the study objectives were achieved although it was clear that the overall user satisfaction of using the system was very low. The challenges associated with the implementation that were affecting some of these objectives are areas, as management and other stakeholders of the facility should closely look at in other to help improve the quality of health care and service delivery.