CHAPTER 1

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.0     Introduction

Generally Automation plays an important role in the global economy and in daily experience. Engineers strive to combine automated devices with mathematical and organizational tools to create complex systems for a rapidly expanding range of applications.

The Patient Information Management System (PIMS) is an automated system that is used to manage patient information and its administration. It is meant to provide the Administration and Staff, with information in real-time to make their work more interesting and less stressing.

1.1 Background of the Study

The scope of the service in Nsambya hospital is basically curative and preventive and is offered in clinic unit x-ray/ ultra sound, laboratory and dental unit in the hospital. Other services include admission (ward) inpatient (where drugs are issued), physiotherapy and family planning.

The hospital offers 24 hours services to its staff and the entire population. The records of patients in Nsambya hospital have over time been run down due to large numbers of patients, this led to poor record

keeping since it‟s a paper based system. The   reason why the current

system used is manual has led to a variety of problems and these include; un necessary duplication of the data especially for inpatients and outpatients, inconsistence may occur since data is held more that once and hard to analyze the data hence difficult to trace the flow of patient past medication data. There are several departments in the new extension of Nsambya hospital which includes medicine surgery,

psychiatry, public health, ear, nose and throat, casualty, obstetrics and gynecology among others.

According Jantz (2001) the emergence of computer based information system has changed the world a great deal, both large and small system have adopted the new methodology by use of personal computer; to fulfill several roles in the production of information therefore computerizing the documentation of patient record to enable easier manipulation of the input process and output will bring us to this existing new world of information system.

Patients records and disease pattern documentation is concerned with documentation of information obtained from patients and their particular health system in order to function properly. If this information is not documented perfectly causing some data to get misplaced, the health system will not be efficient.

According tang (2001) In examine the document system that in existence at the hospital that is mostly manual much importance has been placed on creating a system that document the inpatient record using a computerized database system with a secure procedure for accessing it.

One of the unit of the std/aids control program (STD/HCP) a server doctor at consultant level who is assisted by 3 doctors, a secretary, 5 medical assistance7 nurses trained consolers and part time statisticians and 2 laboratory technologists head of units. The various diseases managed at the unit include the following syphilis, virgin its, molluscus,

scabies‟, pubic lice, gonorrhea, trichomoiasis, gentle mart etc.

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Patient information past and present is extremely vital in the provision of

patient‟s care which guides the physician in the making of right decision

about the diagnosis. The rapid growth of information technology and system made to choose the health care industry to borrow a page from the air industry for the sake of patient‟s safety. Pilots have instant access to the data they need in whether condition and mechanical function to make information decision about navigation and delay.

1.2 Problem Statement

The absence of a well established information system to serve patient and staff has led to inconveniences. This has tantamount to the loss of patient and staff records.

This is basically because of the weakness of the existing system which includes over reliance on paper based work. Paper files consume a lot of the office space, slow recording, processing and retrieval of patient details. Accessing and sharing of information by different departments is difficult due to poor information management.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1.3.1 Main Objectives

Our major objective is to develop an operational Patient Information Management System for St Francis Hospital Nsambya

1.3.1 Specific Objectives

i.        To review literature on related systems and analyze the existing manual system.

ii.        To collect data and identify the system‟s requirements

iii.        To design an automated Patient Information Management system.

iv.        To implement the system.

v.        To test and validate the system.

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