Assessment of health informatics competencies in training of undergraduate healthcare professionals in Rwanda. Case of University of Rwanda College of Medicine and Health Sciences

Abstract

Introduction: The concept “health informatics” is a discipline that is as old as healthcare itself. It was born the day a clinician first wrote down some impressions about a patient’s illness, and used these to learn how to treat the next patient. Healthcare professionals often lack knowledge of systematically processing data and information which affects the decision-making process. Furthermore, in order to enhance their practices through better use of information resources, healthcare professionals are often asked to use information technologies for which they have poor appreciation and limited skills. Nevertheless, as more health information technologies become part of the health care environment, the need for healthcare professionals with health informatics competencies is growing. Aim: The aim of the current study is to assess health informatics competencies in existing curricula for training undergraduate health care professionals in Rwanda. Methods: A descriptive cross – sectional study with a review of document approach was conducted. Using a census method, the study assessed thirty curricula designed for training undergraduate health care professionals in University of Rwanda, College of Medecine and Health Sciences during the academic year 2013 - 2014. Data collection was carried out using a standardized questionnaire designed to assess health informatics competencies in four level of clinical practice. The tool was adapted to local context to include advanced diploma level. Data collection began after the study was granted an explicit authorization from the College Principal’s Office. SPSS 21 was used for data coding, processing and analysis. Frequency tables where used to summarize categorical variables. Descriptive statistics were used to describe numerical variables. One-way ANOVA was used to compare means differences across schools and undergraduate programmes. Results: only 11 out of 23 competences (47.8%) had a score of presence greater than 50% in the assessed curricula. Use of personal application software for documentation, ability to use personal computers, Ability to communicate electronically and basic informatics terminology were the most frequent competencies in curricula and each one accounted for 70% (n=21). Socio-organizational and socio-technical issues and methods of project management and change management were totally vii absent from the assessed curricula. Other competencies weakly represented included the methods for decision support and their application to patient management (3.3%), the principles of medical decision-making (6.7%), and the need for systematic information processing in healthcare (10%). The remaining competencies had a presence score between 10 and 50%. Health informatics competencies in Curricula from the School of Medicine Pharmacy were significantly higher than others (p<0.001) and the Bridging program was less likely to contain assessed health informatics competencies (p<0.05). Conclusion: There is a low presence of health informatics competencies in the studied curricula. To insure that healthcare professionals have the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to effectively and efficiently interact with today’s health information technologies, more health informatics competencies need to be included and assessed in all undergraduate curricula leading to a healthcare professionals` qualification.