‘Phase out manual record keeping in health facilities’
Participants in the 67th New Year School and Conference have recommended a complete phasing out of the manual or paper record keeping in health facilities.
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"All efforts should be made to deploy Information Communications Technology (ICT) in collecting and managing health data at the district and local levels.
"Data interconnectivity should be created to ensure effective and efficient data collection, management and information sharing," the participants recommended in a communique issued at the end of the five-day school last Thursday.
They further recommended that institutions in the health sector should put in place mechanisms and measures to ensure the timely updating of existing data.
They, however, recommended the enactment of appropriate laws to protect sensitive data about the health records of individuals.
e-Health policy
Touching on the e-health policy in the country, the participants called on the Ministry of Health to take immediate steps to disseminate the e-health policy and communicate the contents in the local languages for the public to understand.
The participants further urged the Ministry of Health to intensify coordination in collaboration with all stakeholders, provide harmonised short codes on diverse health-related issues and regular updates at a minimal cost to the public.
Electronic data
They called on the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to create an electronic data bank for professional health service workers, where data on patients, pharmaceuticals and other health information could be accessed across the country.
"Thus the nation should have a centralised medical records system. This should, however, be monitored and controlled. ICT should make it possible for all health professionals within the hospital environment to have access to patient's records,” they said.
ICT literacy for health sector
The participants underscored the need for all teaching hospitals and health-related training institutions to be equipped with internet connectivity, and ICT infrastructure such as computer laboratories and teleconferencing facilities for consultants to deliver their lectures.
They called on the government to increase the budget for the training of health professionals and also support the establishment of e-learning platforms to widen access to training for health professionals throughout the country.
NHIS
To ensure sustainable healthcare financing, the participants called for a more comprehensive review of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and its financing structure to ensure they are sustainable.
The participants proposed that the NHIS should mainly cater for primary health care, while secondary and tertiary health care should be catered for by private health insurance schemes.