Challenges that are influencing the adoption of electronic health record systems in health facilities .a case study of narok county, kenya

Abstract

Developing countries are slow adopters of new technologies, particularly with regards to the health services of these countries. This study explores the data collection and management challenges in a Kenyan hospital using an interpretative case study approach and proposes implementing an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system as a solution to these challenges. This study also mentions some challenges that would impede the implementation of EHR in a Kenyan hospital, and this are, the initial huge startup costs, poor computer skills of healthcare professionals, poor maintenance culture, and people embedding political meaning(s) into the system. The weak state of information infrastructure at the hospital would be another challenge in an EHR implementation. EHR could potentially reduce waiting times for patients, reduce the cost of the hospital‘s operations, improve interdepartmental communication and collaboration, provide opportunity for sharing best practices among physicians within Kenyan hospitals, and enhance better resource allocation. The data an EHR could primarily capture would be patients‘demographics, care plans, laboratory results, billing and NHIS claims information. Limitations of paper-based records are influencing a transition across the globe towards Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and in general electronic health (eHealth). However, despite the well documented benefits of eHealth, adoption particularly in developing countries remains a great challenge. Lessons learned from widespread implementation efforts can be used to encourage and inform the use of eHealth. This study evaluates the most current literature to establish the extent to which electronic health records system has been adopted in developing countries. The study has shown various determinants of electronic health adoption which will help countries particularly the developing ones come up with necessary interventions to accelerate the adoption. As part of future work, more studies need to be done, firstly to confirm the effect of the mentioned determinants in this paper in each developing country, secondly to find out other determinants of eHealth adoption and thirdly to show how developing countries’ cooperation on eHealth strategies can affect the journey towards eHealth adoption by these countries.