Using Electronic Health Records to Improve Management of HIV/AIDS Clients: A Cross-Sectional Survey Among Healthcare Providers in Kisumu County, Kenya

Abstract

The impact of the use of electronic medical records (EMRs) on health projects in sub-Saharan Africa and specifically in Kenya is not known. We conducted an ex post facto mixed methods cross-sectional descriptive survey among 191 healthcare providers in comprehensive care centers to understand the perceived association between utilization of the EMRs and management outcomes of HIV/AIDS projects in eight high volume public health facilities in Kisumu County, Kenya. A standardized open-ended questionnaire and a key informant interview guide were used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. The study findings demonstrated a high level of perceived utilization of the EMRs within the HIV/AIDS projects across the selected health facilities. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between utilization of EMRs and management outcomes of HIV/AIDS projects. Utilization of the EMRs for data services could explain significant variation in management outcomes of HIV/AIDS projects. Using content analysis, we unearthed five categories of contextual factors that affect utilization of electronic medical records, namely infrastructure/technological factors, factors related to capacity of users, project management factors, attitudes of the users, and security-related factors. Electronic medical records have the potential to significantly improve management outcomes in HIV/AIDS projects. We recommend the need for scale-up of the EMRs to cover more HIV/AIDS sites and perhaps be replicated in other health programs focusing on chronic diseases.