The Role of Records Management in Secondary Health Care Delivery System in Selected State Hospitals in Osun State, Nigeria.

Abstract

The study examined the role of records management in secondary health care delivery system. The purpose of the study is to appraise the records and archive management in all the recorded information generated in the state hospitals under the secondary health care delivery system, through the process of creation, preparation, disposal distribution, use, storage, retention and disposition of records, determining the validity of documents and its existence in the hospital.

A descriptive survey was adopted with simple percentage analysis. 50 respondents were selected from two state hospitals in Osun State Nigeria.50 copies of questionnaire was administered and 46 copies of questionnaire were returned with a response rate of 92%. The findings revealed that lack of uniform retention policy, absence of legal authority on disposal records and document, lack of funds to purchase standard filing shelves and cabinets, and lack of attention by the hospital managements was responsible for misfiling, mislaying, overcrowding and reduced storage space in the state hospitals.

It was recommended that legal authority should be instituted nationwide to support records retention and disposal schedules and archive documents for effective and efficient record management in secondary health care delivery system in Nigeria.