Perception on synchronization of patient data among health facilities through electronic medical records system: a case study of Kabgayi District Hospital

Abstract

Background Synchronization of patients' data in health facilities through Electronic Medical Records system (OpenMRS) have the potential of speeding up processing people's life, and avoiding multiple patients identification (PID) generated by EMRs that designer of the EMR system have been setting two ways for generates patients identification (generates automatically and writes number). Methods In this observational study design, quantitative and qualitative approach was used to meet the objectives through retrospective information on EMR data sharing. Pre-defined variables like strategy approach, innovation and data synchronization in the system was evaluated. Census method was conducted in HIV/ART department focusing on the EMR system. The EMR IT was also targeted and all questions were related to the synchronization of patients' data among different health facilities staff through Electronic Medical Records system. Results The study findings showed that healthcare professionals preferred using the EMR in sharing than paper based records and also that the overall package of the services provided by using the EMRs found it more effectiveness and efficient in sharing a patient' records. The study results also indicated that the EMR Servers are hosted in local while the EMR package is web based system. On the other hands, the results also showed that there was currently EMR provided different patient's identification (PID) at each health facilities meanwhile the EMR system could be used one patients' identification in sharing patient's records. The study also showed that the proficient of EMRs were changed the qualities of healthcare deliveries and also the costly was reduced, short time in synchronized patient's information at different health facilities, and the security of patient' records was improved than paper based records. Conclusion This study presented by a cloud based computing approach for the synchronized a patients' data among health facilities through EMRs developments. The main idea need is for synchronizing an EMR system, which all patients' and caregivers from different places can easily access patients' information and use, as well as improve healthcare applications sharing the EMRs. The proposed model introduced in this study offers a flexible and portable platform for the sharing EMR applications development. Scalability and privacy were the major concerns in this data synchronized. Cloud based computing system successfully overcome these issues by implementing EMRs for efficiently and effectiveness and designing the system based upon cloud based server requirements. We provided the healthcare with an easy way to share the patients' information via EMRs web server. Finally, promising output across the conducted tests was a good indicator for usability of the proposed cloud based server system.