The Borno State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (BOSCHMA) has urged hospital managements to expand the use of Electronic Health Records (EHR) to all service points in order to improve patient care, accountability and claims management.
The Executive Secretary of BOSCHMA, Dr Saleh Kaza, made the call at the agency’s third-quarter performance review meeting with Social Health Fund (SHF) stakeholders in Maiduguri on Saturday.
Kaza said extending the electronic system beyond BOSCHMA clinics to hospital wards, laboratories, pharmacies, theatres and specialist units would improve access to patients’ medical records and reduce delays in healthcare delivery.
He explained that electronic records would eliminate challenges associated with missing patient folders and repeated documentation whenever patients returned for treatment.
According to him, the agency is yet to utilise the full potential of the system, as its implementation remains largely limited to BOSCHMA clinics in several facilities.
He said the system was designed to be user-friendly and could be accessed through computers and smartphones, enabling doctors and nurses to update patients’ records from different service points.
Kaza also identified gaps in electronic claims submissions, noting that some healthcare providers failed to indicate whether patients were receiving inpatient or outpatient care.
He said some claims also lacked diagnosis details, despite the availability of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) within the electronic system to assist medical personnel in recording diagnoses accurately.
The executive secretary warned that incomplete documentation could affect claims processing and reimbursement to healthcare facilities.
He urged medical directors and hospital managers to ensure that staff are adequately trained and that electronic records are consistently updated to support effective claims management.
Earlier, Dr Inna Alimi, Director of Service Quality Assurance at BOSCHMA, identified inadequate medical equipment, shortages of essential drugs, staff absenteeism and early closure of clinics as challenges affecting service delivery in some facilities.
Alimi called for improved supervision, staff orientation, timely submission of claims and compliance with approved healthcare service packages.
She also commended facilities that recorded improvements in electronic drug dispensing and patient satisfaction, while urging others to address identified operational gaps.
The meeting reviewed facility performance, assessed service delivery challenges and considered recommendations for improving healthcare access for formal-sector enrollees and vulnerable groups.
At the end of the meeting, BOSCHMA presented awards and certificates of recognition to outstanding staff and health facilities in acknowledgement of their performance and contributions to healthcare service delivery in Borno.
