IIM-Africa Plans HIM Training, Says Only “Living Document” Saves Lives

Institute of Information Management (IIM-Africa) has disclosed plans to hold a-day free Health Information Management (HIM) Training, adding that it is a living document that tells the story of the patient.

According to IIM-Africa, operational document facilitates each encounter patients have with health professionals involved in their care, hence the need for proper records and information management at the hospitals.

Dr. Oyedokun Oyewole, president and chairman in Council, IIM-Africa told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek that the training slated for November 21, 2015, at IIM Secretariat: SAIM House, 35 Association Avenue Ilupeju , Lagos, Nigeria, will expose attendees to the introduction to health information management; importance of health information management for health care and current trends in the practice.

Oyewole, said, “Health information is more or less the live of the patient. It is a living document that tells the story of the patient and facilitates each encounter they have with health professionals involved in their care. This is because health information helps in provision of comprehensive and quality care for patients.

“Properly managed health information contribute to consistent and quality in patient care by providing a detail description of patients’ health status and a platform for making informed treatment decisions. Properly managed health information should also be accessible and used by several health practitioners to make informed treatment decisions and for continuity of care. It can also be used in assessing care that has been given to patient(s).

Oyedokun added that there are several challenges associated with health information management ranging from lack of adequate training for health workers, lack of data processing facilities, lack of access to patients information due to poor health information management, and lack of resources by health facilities to deploy health information management systems and technologies.

“Planning, monitoring and evaluation of health services are hampered by the paucity of reliable data and health services therefore cannot be managed efficiently on the basis of available data,” he noted.

He said that the Institute of Information Management health information management training has been developed to help bridge some of these gaps, enabling practitioners understand their roles and responsibilities managing health related information.

“IIM health information management training program will teach attendees everything they need to know, to better protect their organisation and its operations. They will learn about the technological and physical factors that could expose their organisation to risk, and the measures that must be taken in order to reduce those risks and eventually assist in enhancing the quality of health care services.

Other challenges associated with health information management, he said, include, patient care; patient information; health information management as a quality factor; health information management as a cost factor; health information management as a productivity factor; health information management as memory of patient healthcare; impact of technology on quality of health care; confidential information; data protection; principles of information security, among others.

He said that IIM-Africa expects Health Information Managers/Officers, Doctors, Nurses, Office Assistance, Lab professionals & attendants, Admin, Pharmacist and other health service caregiver and providers to be in attendance after paying for the attendance fee.