Adoption of Computerised Health Information System Focusing on Kenya’s Health Facilities

Although the benefits of information technology are clear adapting new information systems to health care has proven difficult globally and rates of use have been limited. With the challenge of inadequate health workers and low quality of service delivery, Information Communication Technology is essential to ensure availability of Information to multiple users and multiple settings. It is also important for Integration of variable types of data media, data legibility, reduced medical errors, complete and quality data. It also enable structured data entry, accurate calculation of processes, provision of tools for decision support and data based analysis. Although Kenya as a developing country has invested in Information Communication Technology with the aim of improving patient care, all indications have shown slow adoption of technology in healthcare industry. Therefore it is important to focus on means of hastening adoption of HIS in order to enhance service delivery in the health sector and hence effective service delivery for Kenyan people. Keywords: Adoption, Health Information Systems, ICT Infrastructure

The Influence of Infrastructural Investment on Adoption of ICT in Health Information System: A Case of Sub County Referral Hospitals in Nakuru County, Kenya

The use of Information Communication Technology is essential in overcoming the challenges of inadequate health workers and low quality of service delivery. This study was an effort to strengthen the Health Management Information Systems pillar by seeking to assess the adoption of ICT in Health Systems in Nakuru County. The overall objective for this study was to assess the adoption of ICT in health information systems. For the purpose of this paper the researcher has focused on establishing the influence of infrastructural investment on adoption of ICT in HIS. The study employed cross-sectional design with a deductive approach. The target population was 534 made of medical personnel drawn from the sub-county Hospitals within Nakuru County out of which a sample of 98 respondents was used in the study. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaires with questions based on five points Likert Scale which required the respondents to indicate their level of agreement with the statements. The data was analyzed and descriptive statistics used to summarize the responses into frequencies and percentages. The findings were presented in bar graphs with descriptive narratives. The results showed that Lack of adequate ICT infrastructure has hampered ICT adoption in public hospitals in Nakuru County. The study recommends improvement of ICT infrastructure. The County Health Ministry should also support ICT adoption in the public hospitals by allocating adequate funds for this purpose. Keywords: Adoption of ICT, Health Information Systems, ICT Infrastructur