Ict and Healthcare in Ghana: a Proposal
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- Date Submitted: 03/02/2011 09:54 PM
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ICT and Healthcare in Ghana by Mathew Adjei Darko (PG 3056209)
Background Information
Health is a key sector for development and plays a crucial role in poverty eradication.
One of the key developments in the health sector in the last 25 years is the incursion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). This is clearly captured in a speech of Mr. Kofi Annan speaking at the World Summit of Information Society: “A technological revolution is transforming society in a profound way. If harnessed and directed properly, ICT have the potential to improve all aspects of our social, economic and cultural life.”
Therefore a concerted and guided use of ICT in the health sector is crucial for a more cost-effective and a better performing sector which avoids duplicating activities and provides quality service.
ICT in healthcare, in recent years has been widely used to help doctors, nurses and other practitioners to better achieve better care to patients across Ghana’s healthcare landscape, in both administrative and medical field. Numerous examples exist to prove the importance of using ICT to better the lot of patients, providers, payers and other paramedics. Some of the examples include Electronic Medical Records Exchange which is allowing medical records between hospitals and polyclinics to facilitate and provide efficient healthcare to the public. Another example is the implementation of HealthCare Management Information System (HMIS). HMIS aims to improve the ability to collect, store, analyse accurate healthcare data, increase data accuracy and effectiveness of intervention, increase accountability and improve tracking of patient health trends and ease of record retrieval. Accurate and timely data helps to plan and prepare health policies.
Healthcare Infrastructure (a brief summary)
In Ghana, the government manages the public healthcare system through the Ministry of Health (MOH). It s mission is to ensure good and affordable basic...
Background Information
Health is a key sector for development and plays a crucial role in poverty eradication.
One of the key developments in the health sector in the last 25 years is the incursion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). This is clearly captured in a speech of Mr. Kofi Annan speaking at the World Summit of Information Society: “A technological revolution is transforming society in a profound way. If harnessed and directed properly, ICT have the potential to improve all aspects of our social, economic and cultural life.”
Therefore a concerted and guided use of ICT in the health sector is crucial for a more cost-effective and a better performing sector which avoids duplicating activities and provides quality service.
ICT in healthcare, in recent years has been widely used to help doctors, nurses and other practitioners to better achieve better care to patients across Ghana’s healthcare landscape, in both administrative and medical field. Numerous examples exist to prove the importance of using ICT to better the lot of patients, providers, payers and other paramedics. Some of the examples include Electronic Medical Records Exchange which is allowing medical records between hospitals and polyclinics to facilitate and provide efficient healthcare to the public. Another example is the implementation of HealthCare Management Information System (HMIS). HMIS aims to improve the ability to collect, store, analyse accurate healthcare data, increase data accuracy and effectiveness of intervention, increase accountability and improve tracking of patient health trends and ease of record retrieval. Accurate and timely data helps to plan and prepare health policies.
Healthcare Infrastructure (a brief summary)
In Ghana, the government manages the public healthcare system through the Ministry of Health (MOH). It s mission is to ensure good and affordable basic...