Records management practices and patient care services in tertiary hospitals in Southwestern Nigeria

Records management practices which entail creation, maintenance and use, retention and disposition of inactive records, are essential to guarantee access to volumes of valuable records generated in the process of patient care services in tertiary hospitals. Records are important sources of information and they play key role in quality patient care services. Records are useful for decision making and accountability in patient care services. Preliminary investigation had shown poor level of records management practices in tertiary hospitals in Southwestern Nigeria. This study examined the influence of records management practices on quality patient care services in tertiary hospitals in Southwestern Nigeria. The expost-facto design was adopted for the study. The population for the study consisted of 493 licensed records management professionals in the sixteen tertiary hospitals in Southwestern Nigeria and the total enumeration was adopted. The instrument used was a self-developed questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation and Multiple regression at 0.05 significant level. The study revealed the importance of good records management practices in achieving quality patient care services in tertiary hospitals. Findings showed that good records management practices significantly and positively influenced quality patient care services. Records management practices should be considered as important for quality patient care in tertiary hospitals in Southwestern Nigeria.