Effect of professional malpractice on health information management practice by health information management personnel in selected hospitals in Rivers State

Abstract

Efficient health records and information management is a fulcrum upon which quality healthcare delivery revolves for sustainable development. Professional malpractice is a dangerous catalyst bedeviling medical profession. The frequency of patient’s right violations associated with breach of patient’s privacy, confidentiality, assault and battery, mutilations, theft and unauthorized disclosure of patient’s medical information has become a source of concern. Thus, this study sought to examine the effect of professional malpractice on health information management practice by health information management personnel in selected hospitals in Rivers State. The descriptive survey design was used for the study. The population of the study was made up of 108 health information management personnel in the two selected hospitals. The total enumeration technique was adopted due to the manageable size of the population. The questionnaire was the instrument for data collection. The result showed that effects of professional malpractice on Health Information Management practice were poor turnover of patients and generation of fund, litigation against hospitals and loss of confidence. Furthermore, the constituents of professional malpractice included breach of patient rights, rapid deterioration of patient records and patient long waiting time. Finally, the factors responsible for professional malpractice were inadequate working tools, employment of quacks, poor leadership style and lack of training. It is necessary that hospital management should employ only licensed and skillful Health Information Officers and re-training the existing ones