Management of records in state-owned hospitals in Ghana

Abstract

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which state-owned hospitals (SOH) in Ghana manage their records as against the framework of good records management standards and practices. The purposive and convenience sampling techniques were used to select 14 SOH out of 37. Data used for analysis were drawn from personnel observations, examinations and face-to-face interviews with 26 respondents selected purposively from the 14 hospitals, giving a response rate of 93%. The key finding of the study was that the SOH had a fair degree of operational direction for the management of records but the available standards and practices for records management were not suitable. The study has demonstrated the need for state-owned hospitals in Ghana to have and develop good standards for the management of their records to help them attain their set goals and objectives in a more efficient and effective manner.