Abstract:
Health is a fundamental human right in the development of a country and the delivery of
quality healthcare services is largely supported by medical records. The aim of the study
was to investigate the effectiveness of medical records in the provision of healthcare
services at KNH with a view to proposing a model for managing medical records. The
specific objectives of the study were; establishing the business activities that generate
medical records at KNH, determining the types and formats of medical records generated as
part of KNH healthcare system, determining the contribution of medical records in the
provision of healthcare services at KNH, analyzing the status and effectiveness of the
present medical records management practices in supporting healthcare services at KNH
and analyzing the
medical records management challenges faced in the provision of
healthcare services at KNH. Qualitative research method was used in the study. The data
was gathered through in-depth interviews administered to 58 employees of KNH using
purposive sampling complimented by observation and analysis of documentary sources.
Data was analyzed based on the grounded theory approach. The results of the study were
that medical records played a critical role in patient care, healthcare planning, medical
research and health policy development. It was established that the quality of medical
records was inadequate which impacted negatively on healthcare delivery. Research
findings also revealed that the medical records management practices were not fully
effective hampering access to medical records critical in the provision of healthcare
services. In addition, there were numerous challenges facing the management of medical
records which had undermined provision of quality healthcare services at KNH. The study
recommends measures towards improvement of the medical records management situation
at KNH. The key recommendations were; establishment of clinical documentation
standards to enhance integrity of medical records. Development of policies focused on
medical records management, disaster management and medical records retention and
disposal. Further, the recommendations address the need to strengthen top management
support for medical records management. In addition, the recommendations focus on the
need to integrate ICT into medical records processes. The study finally proposes a
framework for managing medical records based on the recommendations to adequately
support provision of healthcare services at KNH.
