Enhancing Service Delivery of Teaching Hospitals through Automated Hospital Information Systems

Abstract

An automated information system is a combination of computer hardware, software, data, or telecommunications that performs functions such as collecting, processing, storing, transmitting, and displaying information to aid in decision making (Military Health System, 2018). An Automated Hospital Information System (AHIS) is a computer system in a hospital that collects, processes, stores, transmits, and displays information that helps in the overall running of the hospital (Military Health System, 2018).  Much information is produced and processed to support care delivery in hospitals.  In addition to administrative data, information is produced during each patient’s treatment period from all phases of the process: scheduling, pre-admission, admission, treatment and discharge (Wager et al, 2005). Teaching hospitals are those community and tertiary hospitals affiliated with medical schools nursing schools, or allied-health professions training programs (Ogbobe, 2011).  Teaching hospitals are the primary sites for training new physicians where interns and residents work under the supervision of experienced physicians.  Most teaching hospitals, which provide 

clinical training for medical students and other health care professionals are affiliated with a medical school and may have several hundred beds.  Many of the physicians or staff members at the hospitals also hold teaching positions at the university affiliated with the hospital, in addition to teaching physicians-in-training at the bedsides of the patients.  Patients in teaching hospitals understand that they may be examined by medical students and residents in addition to their primary “attending” physicians.