The Director of Health Information Management at the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH), Mr. Ikubolaje Ojo, has emphasised the importance of accurate health records in ensuring quality healthcare delivery, effective diagnosis and improved patient outcomes.
Ojo stated this while speaking on Orange FM’s News and Current Affairs Programme, The Round Table, during the UNIMEDTH Half Hour segment.
He explained that Health Information Management involves the collection, documentation, storage, protection and retrieval of patients’ medical records throughout their treatment.
The health professional stressed that accurate record-keeping was essential, warning that missing or incorrect information could jeopardise medical treatment and affect patient outcomes.
He also highlighted the role of health information managers in monitoring disease trends and notifying relevant authorities of potential outbreaks to facilitate prompt intervention.
On patient confidentiality, Ojo assured the public that measures were in place to protect sensitive medical information, noting that healthcare facilities were gradually transitioning from paper-based documentation to secure, password-protected Electronic Health Record systems.
He urged members of the public to undergo routine medical check-ups at least once every six months to establish comprehensive health records that could be easily accessed during emergencies.
Orange FM’s Joshua Adedeji reports that effective Health Information Management remains vital to improving healthcare delivery, protecting patient information and supporting public health surveillance.
