The role of smartcare electronic health records system in the delivery of health services: case of first-level hospitals in Lusaka district, Zambia.
The study investigated the role of the SmartCare Electronic Health Records System in the delivery of Health Services in five (5) First-level Hospitals in Lusaka District. The study adopted a qualitative research design, where twenty-five (25) registry personnel comprising twenty-two (22) registry clerks and three (3) registry supervisors, who were deemed to be key Informants, were interviewed using an in-depth interview guide. The study sought to: (i) ascertain the registry personnel’s experiences and perceptions of using the SmartCare system for managing healthcare records, (ii) determine the policy framework for managing records within the SmartCare health system, (iii) ascertain the extent to which SmartCare has enhanced service delivery, and (iv) explore the challenges faced in the implementation of the SmartCare health system. Data were analyzed thematically. The results of the study showed that registry personnel in Lusaka’s first- level hospitals view the SmartCare system positively, highlighting its efficiency in record management. It enhances data accuracy, accessibility, and retrieval, reducing physical storage needs and streamlining patient registration. Research findings also showed that the implementation of SmartCare had improved operations in the healthcare system in many ways, including improved service delivery, enhanced storage of patients’ records, easy access and retrieval of records, tracking of patients’ medical records, and an improved referral system. The study further established that registry personnel at first-level hospitals had never attended formal records management training, and no formal ICT training was offered to records management staff in the institutions. This negatively affected the management of records in the facilities. The registry personnel at first-level hospitals were not aware of existing policies and standards for the administration of their work. The challenges faced by registry personnel regarding the utilization of SmartCare in their service delivery included system failure, erratic power supply (load shedding), lack of staff training, inadequate computers, poor network connectivity, and the unavailability of Smartcards. The study recommended that the Ministry of Health consider acquiring more computers for all registries for use with SmartCare, sensitising registry personnel on the existing e-records management policies, training the Registry Personnel in the use of SmartCare, and ensuring a constant supply of Smartcards to patients. The study suggests that hospitals planning to implement the SmartCare EHR system can use the outcomes of this study to learn lessons that would aid in successful implementation.
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