Efficient data collection can improve healthcare delivery, nation’s health-Registrar, HRORBN
By Peter Usman//:
Registrar, Health Records Officer’s Registration Board of Nigeria, HRORBN Mohammed Mami Ibrahim, has said that efficient data collection will go a long way to improve healthcare delivery and as well improve the nation’s health.
The Registrar, stated this on Wednesday in Abuja at a 3-Day workshop on Medical Billing, Coding and Collection Methodology in Healthcare environment, organized by HRORBN in collaboration with Genuine Essence Management Services.
Ibrahim, who is also the Chairman of Committee of Health Regulatory Body of Nigeria, noted that a lot of resources have been poured into the healthcare industry by the government, hence the need for accountability and efficient health services through data collection.
While declaring the workshop open, the Registrar explained that data creates room for research, adding that once research is being carried out, one will be able to identify solution to any disease condition that may arises.
He asserted that the importance of data collection cannot be overemphasized especially in hospitals, saying that based on the data on ground, one will be able to plan ahead of time in case of pandemic outbreak.
“It is important we get ourselves prepared ahead of time in case of any eventuality. We don’t need to start running around when there is any epidemic if we have our data on ground. With data, we will be able to plan well, because at the end of the day, the whole system about hospital is about patients” he said.
He urged participants to take the workshop seriously especially as it has to do with medical billing, stressing that apart from healthcare delivery; data can also be used to support activities of government at national level, planning and revenue generation.
Speaking on the number of participants that attended the workshop, he said, “Because of the pandemic, we cannot invite everybody to participate, so we have a target of minimum people that we can accommodate for physical present and we also have provision for those that can join online. We are doing it on rotational basis, we are in Abuja today, the next one will be either in the South South, South West or South East, until we go round the country.
“Most of the people targeted are those at the Heads of Department and those responsible for data collection, when they get back to their stations, they will transfer the knowledge to those that are working with them. We have a very large market and large population, so we cannot pull everybody together under this condition that is why we invite few numbers of people in compliance with covid-19 protocol.”
The National Secretary, Association of Health Records and Information Management Practitioners of Nigeria, AHRIMP, Aliyu Wada, also emphasized on the importance of data in hospital setting, stating that without data, there will be no record to fall back on.
“Now we are focusing on healthcare service delivery, the hospital setting is such that data is very important, if you remove data from what is happening in the hospital, what will be left can only be data imagine. The aspect of diagnosis and treatment and whatever comes in between them are always documented because they are incidental in the treatment of the patients.
“Our people are in charge of data, so whatever will be done to train them to ensure that they carry out their activities effectively and efficiently is very necessary and that is what we are doing now. We are trying to get them focus, we are trying to let them appreciate what they are doing and then increase their knowledge, so that at the end of the day, they will provide quality healthcare services” he said.
A Board member of HRORBN, Patrician Mshelia, in an interview with IDEALPOSTS said that the need for members to generate data accurately and present it in such a way that it can be used is very necessary.
She averred that date can be used for decision making in hospitals and other sectors.