NITDA plans software policy review to digitize patient health records
Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami), director general, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has acknowledged the time and cost saving in the use of universal software for electronic health records in health facilities and training schools in Nigeria.
Dr. Pantami made the remark while receiving in his office Mr. Muhammad Ibrahim Mami, chief executive officer and delegation of Health Records Officers Registration Board of Nigeria (HRORBN) recently.
The DG NITDA assured the delegation that the agency would review the document and identify possible areas of collaboration.
He urged the MDAs to patronize local content products while the producer is given a more qualitative product.
He commended HRORBN for referring to NITDA before the development of the software, adding that it is an offence for any MDA to deploy IT products in the nation without a clearance from NITDA.
Mami solicited NITDA’s support in accelerating the speed in the development of universal software for electronic health records in health facilities and training schools in Nigeria.
“We pray you accord immediate attention to the creation of universal software that will facilitate our speedy functioning, in smooth and efficient health records management within health facilities and training schools across the nation.
“We can see the greater difference that an Electronic Health Records Management can make to health records management practice in the country vis-à-vis the change mantra of the President. Beyond these, I can also clearly see how high the support you give us will stand our professional practice within the context of the West Africa Sub-Region,”Mami told Pantami.
Mami explained that manual health records system was “tiring and cumbersome” and patients’ data are often misplaced, misfiled or lost.
“Most times, patients are always at the receiving end as whenever anything happens to their records, the officer in charge always leaves them to their fate especially in the rural areas,” he noted.
Mami further stated that the collaboration between these two agencies, if achieved, can bring about the much awaited and desired change in the transition from manual card giving to Electronic Health Records (EHR).
The EHR is a longitudinal electronic record of patient health information generated by one or more encounters in any care delivery setting, which includes the patient’s demographics, progress note, problems, medications, vital sign, medical history, immunizations, laboratory data and radiology reports.
He added that this initiative is to facilitate the high professional expectations against the backdrop of President Buhari’s change agenda in the health industry.
