Enterprise content management system implementation readiness to improve medical records management in Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

This study sought to establish readiness for implementation of ECM to improve medical records management in the public hospitals of the Limpopo Province in South Africa. The use of digital systems such as enterprise content management (ECM) to manage medical records is fundamental to ensure timely access, sharing and use of the medical records by healthcare providers and hospital management. This is because timely access to medical records will result in timely healthcare service delivery to the patients. There have been many different kinds of digital systems applied in different organisations for different categories of records throughout the world. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires directed to the Records Management Units at the public hospitals in the Limpopo Province of South Africa supported with observation and document/system analysis. The study reveals that the hospitals in the Limpopo Province had not yet implemented ECM as a system and had limited IT resources like computers, printers, servers, network points and internet access. This study appears to be the first of its nature to investigate the readiness of the hospitals in Limpopo province of South Africa for implementation of enterprise content management system. The study recommends that ECM be implemented to improve medical records management in the public hospitals of Limpopo since the hospitals had no effective systems for proper management of medical records