Abstract:
Recording and communicating patient level data by a Medicare provider is normally
done through a clinical summary. However, such communications are normally done in
formats which are not easy to understand/translate hence inhibiting current and future
interactions between a provider and a patient. This study evaluated the clinical
summaries system used by Kabarak University Health Centre with a view of designing
and developing a Mobile Phone Based Clinical Summaries model. The study objectives
were to: determine parameters that compose a clinical summary; assess providers’ and
patients’ view and use of clinical summaries; establish the challenges with the current
system of recording clinical summaries and to design and develop a Mobile Phone Based
Clinical Summaries model for Health Care Providers and Patients at Kabarak University
Health Centre. The study was guided by Systems Theory, SDMX-HD and REST
protocols. Mixed method research approach was adopted utilizing a case study strategy
to gather model requirements and prototyping for model development. The study targeted
a population of 82 respondents comprising of health care providers: 3 Clinical Officers, 2
Doctors, 2 Laboratory Technicians, 10 Nurses, 3 Pharmacists, 3 Records Officers; 58
Patients and 1 ICT Staff. Purposive sampling was used to draw out all the health care
providers and ICT staff targeted while simple random and purposive sampling was used
to draw out 10 patients. Data was collected through interview, questionnaires and
documentary reviews. Quantitative data was subjected to descriptive statistics while
qualitative data was analyzed thematically. The study established that patient
demographics, vital signs, medication list, lab results, test ordered, radiological tests and
referral information were the parameters that compose a clinical summary. Verbal,
handwritten, pre-printed checklist and EMR were the formats used to provide the
summaries and the challenges arose from confidentiality and privacy of patient data,
technology and communication. The study concluded that the model designed and
developed alleviates the challenges inherent in the Kabarak University Clinical
Summaries System. It is recommended that the model be adopted by Kabarak University
Health Centre and other Hospitals in Kenya who have deployed an Electronic Medical
Records System.
