ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS (EHR) AND STAFF COMPETENCIES FOR QUALITY SERVICE DELIVERY IN NIGERIA

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) have significantly improved the standard and effectiveness of healthcare delivery in Nigeria, making medical information more readable, accessible, and secure. Adopting and implementing electronic health records (EHRs) would necessitate reskilling healthcare providers handling patients’ data and management. This study examines competencies needed to efficiently use EHR to provide high-quality healthcare at Federal Medical Centre Abeokuta, Nigeria’s secondary healthcare system. The study identified EHR users, investigated how EHR improves service delivery and assessed the necessary professional competencies for EHR use. The study used a mixed-methods approach, including interviews with twenty clinical staff and a systematic literature review. The study revealed that EHR improves healthcare service delivery by facilitating information management, improving healthcare professional coordination, and enabling patient engagement. The study additionally showed that EHR users include doctors, nurses, and administrators. The study revealed that healthcare workers must be reskilled in technical competencies such as ICT and data management, ethical principles, communication skills, teamwork, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. The study concludes that the efficient use of EHRs depends on developing a competent workforce capable of utilising the EHR to improve the delivery of high-quality healthcare in Nigeria. The study suggests that healthcare facilities invest in continuous learning and targeted training, encourage interdisciplinary collaboration among healthcare providers, and implement tailored strategies to promote patient engagement to improve competencies and adapt to changing healthcare technology.