Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln

 

Abstract

The importance of records appraisal in the public healthcare sector is worth prioritising during healthcare business planning. If records are not properly appraised may lead to storage congestion, which lead to untidy filing that results in misfiling or no filing at all, resulting in retrieval difficulties or impossible retrieval during healthcare service delivery. In the healthcare institutions, that may lead to patients receiving poor service or no service at all. This study sought to investigate and recommend a framework for medical records appraisal to eventual disposal as a means to ensure support to effective healthcare service delivery in the public hospitals of the Limpopo province of South Africa. This predominantly quantitative study used the questionnaire supported by documents analysis and observation to collect data in 40 hospitals in Limpopo. The study discovered that retention periods for different categories of medical records in the public healthcare sector of the Limpopo province was conducted and populated into the policy and filing plans but no disposal was implemented. Instead, these appraisal products which are policy, procedure manual and filing plans, are not implemented due to a lack of key resources. Officials are still struggling with the search for medical records required by doctors in a pool of useless records that should have being disposed of many years ago. The study recommended a framework for medical records appraisal to eventual disposal to ensure effective support to healthcare service delivery and appropriate management support with the required resources.

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