Education and training for health information management in Nigeria: a lecturer’s experience

Abstract

Background/Objectives: This paper sought to examine education and training for health records and information management in Nigeria from a lecturer’s experience. Methods/Design: It x-rays the travails and challenges faced by trainers and trainees and the pragmatic approach with which trainees are being managed. The training is not just to make trainees have basic instructions in health records and information management (HRIM) but, to adequately equip them with specific skills to be able to operate seamlessly in the field. This is in order to plan, develop, implement, evaluate and manage health information systems, including clinical and administrative data, and healthcare records in healthcare facilities and other types of organizations in the world over. Results: Challenges affecting HRIM education in Nigeria include poor funding, lack of adequate physical and technological infrastructure, obsolete technological environment, inadequate human resources, apathy to research and publication, poor trainers’ motivation and lack of commitment to academic excellence due to the rot in the society. Conclusion: Government needs to adequately fund the training schools so that they can meet up with the current technological innovations and trends in today’s HRIM practice as quality education and training for HRIM cannot be achieved in the absence of ICT. Regulatory bodies are required to help in the maintenance of quality standards of training, and they need to formulate policies that will make graduates of HRIM easily absorbed into work environment. This will remove the apathy people generally have towards choosing HRIM as a course of study in life. Traditional HRIM educators should show concern for research and publications and eLearning techniques and avail themselves of opportunities to enhance their teaching skills, techniques and evaluation methods. The trainees on their part should inculcate the principle of hard work, commitment and honesty during the period of training so that they can attain proficiency and competence in their chosen profession.