ABSTRACT
The objective of this research is to find out the impacts of computer usage by physicians in Kano State and this is likely to increasingly replace handwritten documentation in other institutions. The population consisted of the physicians in Kano state hospitals. A questionnaire was designed and administered among 26 physicians using a simple random sampling technique. Simple percentage was used to analyze the research questions.
The study found out that the physicians in Kano state need to do more to make for a proper electronic health record keeping in their hospitals. Training of staff on computer knowledge explained the reason for using a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) to patients and finally, carefully designed and implementation of any electronic health record system should be a priority.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page ......... i
Approval Page . ii
Acknowledgement ................. iii
Certification . iv
Dedication ............ v
Table of Contents . vi-vii
Abstract ............ viii
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study ... 1
1.2 Purpose of the study ... 2
1.3 Statement of the problems .......... 3
1.4 Research questions ... 4
1.5 Significance of the study ... 6
1.6 Scope of the study ... 7
1.7 Limitation of the study ... 7
1.8 Definition of terms ... 8
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction ... 9
2.2 Impact of computers on health workers ....... 9
2.2.1 Why general practitioners use computers and hospital doctors do not ........ 12
2.2.2 Electronic patient-physician communication .... 12
2.3 Why computer are needed ........... ............... 13
2.3.1 Impact of computer-based information on society
......... 17
2.3.2 Efficiency in the use of computerized documentation .......... 19
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction ........ 21
3.2 Research Design ........ 21
3.3 Population ........ 21
3.4 Sample and sampling technique .... 21
3.5 Instrumentation ........ 22
3.6 Procedure for data analysis 23
3.7 Summary ............ 24
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION OF RESULT
4.1 Introduction ............... 25
4.2 Data analysis and results ... 25
4.3 Discussion ................ 35
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Introduction ................. 40
5.2 Summary ................. 40
5.3 Conclusion ................. 41
5.4 Recommendations ................. 42
References
Appendix
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The effectiveness with which information needed by organization is generated and transferred is used to determine the rate of progress of a society. Modern society is information conscious. Organization and even the hospitals in the communities are not left behind.
The society depends on information for their smooth running and survival. For this reason, information must be well managed.
Generally, the management of patients’ records and even that of the clinic staff record (collection of related fields – data) relating to patients and staff such as name, age, sex, age, sex, origin, health condition, symptoms etc. which when carefully selected, manipulated, organized and communicated in some meaningful ways become information.
The researcher in particular tends to investigate into the impact that computerized documentation plays in the selected hospitals in Kano state. The data collected will reflect the result of clinic staff in the selected hospitals in Kano state and will be used to generalize and present the experience of those in that sector.
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Some years back, Nigeria as a nation has little number of physicians with the knowledge of computing documents, all they knew was paper-based (hand-written) documentation in all their day-to-day activities.
Today, few medical practitioners still find it difficult to effectively use computer despite the technological development and the access they have to computer in their offices.
This study, when completed would encourage both the resident and faculty health workers including the nurses on the use of computer in documenting their records. It will also help to highlight the problematic areas and provide ways of improving the ability to using computer-based documentation in hospitals; in this regard it would also help the students and other researcher on similar research topic to have insight and guide on the impact of computerized physician documentation in the hospitals with particular reference to this area of study.