Exploring the Challenges Faced by Health Information Professionals in Delivering Quality Services in University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital

Abstract

This study investigated the challenges faced by health information professionals in delivering quality services in University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital. This study adopted a survey research design to identify and examine the challenges faced by Health Information Professionals at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) and their impact on service delivery. The study targeted all 89 Health Information Professionals at UITH, encompassing roles in medical records, information technology, and data analysis. Total enumeration sampling was employed to ensure comprehensive data collection. Self-structured questionnaires were distributed to all participants, with follow-ups conducted to maximize response rates and ensure data completeness. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics with SPSS Version 23. The findings revealed several significant challenges impacting the quality-of-service delivery. The most prevalent issue reported was the lack of sufficient filing space for patients' records (84.5%). Other notable challenges included lack of motivation from hospital management (82.2%), insufficient skilled manpower (77.8%), deployment of non-health information personnel (77%), and lack of timely distribution of working tools (66.7%). These challenges highlight critical areas needing attention to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of health information services in university teaching hospitals in Ilorin. The study concluded that these findings are crucial for both practice and policy. Based on the finding of the study, the following recommendation was to since lack of enough space for filing patient’s records is a predominant challenge of quality service delivery of health information professionals in University of Ilorin, Teaching Hospital.