ATTITUDE OF HEALTH WORKERS TOWARDS THE DOCUMENTATION OF MEDICAL RECORDS AT PADER HEALTH CENTER III. A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Background

Health care practices require complete, accurate, and timely documentation to effectively ensure continuity of care, communication among health care providers, health facility planning, risk management in terms of reducing medical errors, provision of proof in medico-legal issues, and the facilitation of evidence-based decision making at all centers of health care facility. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the attitude of health workers towards medical records documentation at Pader Health Center III, Pader district.

Methodology

A descriptive cross-sectional survey was used which involved both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and it involved 30 health workers (respondents) while using self-administered questionnaires. Data collected was thematically presented and analyzed using descriptive frequencies and percentages using Microsoft Excel.

Results

The majority of the respondents were aged between 31 – and 40 years, and 25(83%) had attained University/ Tertiary education. Health workers had a poor attitude towards documentation of medical records since most of the respondents 12 (41%) disagreed with the fact that health workers should have the basic principles of documentation, 15(50%) disagreed that medical documentation helps health workers to gain sufficient knowledge, documentation is part of professional obligation. That documentation ensures continuity of patient care. 

Conclusion

Generally, health workers had poor attitudes towards documenting medical records.

Recommendation

Let there be strengthening of rules and regulations that would enable the health workers to document the medical records to avoid incompleteness, inaccuracy, and untimeliness of medical records.