Inaccurate data by SL health authorities affect the country’s good quality standards
Due to inaccurate and unclear statistical information provided by the health authorities, UN agencies rank Sri Lanka as a very low quality information provider, though Sri Lanka has been recognised as a country with good health sector standards.
This was revealed by Dr. Srilal de Silva, Senior Consultant Paediatrician and Past President, Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians, while addressing the launch of a Patient Management System supported by Hutch Telecommunication Lanka (Hutch) held in Colombo this week.
This project is based on the pilot project carried out at the Batticaloa and Jaffna Teaching Hospitals and now to be extended to eight regional hospitals. This is an advanced patient management system by compiling data through computer technology where these records could be used in the future. The focus is specially on neonatal and childcare.
Following the success of the pilot projects in Jaffna and Batticaloa, the roll out in seven additional regional hospitals will begin in mid November in Hambantota, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Trancomalee and Vavuniya.
Dr. De Silva said that 98 per cent of the babies are delivered in government hospitals and though performance of health services are recognised at a good standard, UN agencies ranking Sri Lanka in terms of the quality of data as very low, is a big problem. He said that the data compiled by the hospitals are not analysed. He said “We do not know what happens to them. Therefore, there should be a definite attitudinal and behavioural change in the health sector”.
He said that maintaining statistics in their own department is vital and said that without this information they are blind as to how good or bad they are delivering their services. Self auditing and strategic planning is the way forward to improve quality patient care, he said
The Hutch-led project was initiated when the Professorial Paediatric Unit of Jaffna came to recognise that many parents tend to misplace the original infant record sheets they get from the hospital which is a critical problem when treating them for any subsequent illnesses.
Equally, parents would miss out on, or delay their child’s immunisation dates and follow up appointments due to the loss of their record sheet. Thus the Patient Management System is designed to provide a two-fold advantage since it provides an electronic backup of patient records within the hospital, as well as ensuring that patients receive reminders via SMS regarding important follow up and vaccination appointments.