Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the present paper based health information system, look at the advantages and disadvantages, compare these with the introduction of an electronic health information system, and come up with recommendations and implementation proposals for an electronic health information system while maintaining the paper based system so that the two continue to run side by side in Banso Baptist hospital. This was a retrospective hospital-based study. The instruments used for data collection were interviews, focus group discussions and review of past records in the medical records unit of the hospital. The main result revealed that, BBH attended to 36,681 in-patients and 405,239 out-patients for the period of five years and the numbers continue to increase per year. To handle the activities of all these patients manually has not been easy hence the need for an electronic health management information system. It was therefore, concluded that an electronic health management information system be introduced in the hospital but maintaining the paper-based system as a backup due to high levels of electricity cuts in the Region.

Keywords: Health; Health management information systems; Medical documentation; Information and communication technology; Data and health information technology