INTRODUCTION
The main aim of talking informat4ion in any organization is to provide means whereby information on the organizations, operation; activity can be made easily by staff without having physical count for quantity.
Information in management information system (MIS) is the valuable resources which enables a business or organization to steer in the right direction to achieve its objective and attain a competitive advantage. This makes administration more efficient and effective. Information tracking provides a relevant intelligence to decision making at the right time.
One of the major activities in the medical data processing is the maintenance of patients record. When a patient visits a particular hospital for the first time, a folder is prepared and an identification number known as the card member is issued to the patient. This number is peculiar to only that patient and any information on the patient is stored or accessed by searching out the hospital folder bearing that number.
These tracking of information on patients are collects and stored away in their hospital folder. As these records increase with time, the hospital would have a collection known as the medical history of the patient. This medical history be very, voluminous, this makes it almost impossible to retrieve past records of the patients that have been stored away for long.
Much of these information tracking system is been done by the record officers who collects information from different sections of the hospital and stores them away as expected. The record officers may be able to maintain these information but the process of retrieving and even storing is generally slow, time consuming and possibly tedious.
The computer-based system has been designed to tackle some of the problems attached to information tracking while running a hospital. This is done basically by introducing certain data processing standards and information into the automated system to help govern and monitor the way the data and information is stored, accessed, used and retrieve.
The processed information are stored in computer and they can be use of electric means. To prevent an epidemic outbreak within a region can only be provide a necessary statistics towards the number of death caused by a disease and the related solution, which can be used to tackle a disease.
Information can be retrieved on a specific problem hence it is by electronic means.
STATEMENT OF THE STUDY
The need for this study was based on the quest for an automated system capable of monitoring the vast records associated with individual patient, computer necessary information like bills and ensure that each patient settles his/her bills and does not owe the hospital beyond an amount specified by the management. Hospital especially large one face many problems while trying to keep track of their patient’s records process and store information on each of them manually. Patients most often have to wait a long time before their files or hospital folder can be retrieved.
This situation can be moist frustrating in cases of emergency where a patient requires immediate attention but time is wasted in locating his/her file or folder so that some information on patient medical history can be located.
Information concerning a patient cannot be shaved simultaneously by different medical personnel because of file or folder can only be in one location at a time.
Every hospital is expected to keep record of the medical history of every patient for easy referencing. Since these files are usually carried about from one place to another, they are easily misplaced or accessed and manipulated by authorized persons.
All these problems can lead to the deterioration and inefficiency in the services provided by the hospital.
1.2 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
Owing to the difficulties faced by most hospitals in track keeping of information on patients record in the hospital and also monitoring bills and depths owned them, a study for an automated system was initiated with its main purpose of providing hospital a system that is capable of handling entire retrieval, storing and updating information about patients in the hospital.
This system provide a statistics for every patients in the hospital including bills of the patients together will all cash payments made so as to provide on demand, useful information of each patients personal record together with debts and credits.
Also another purpose of designing the system is for it to provide any information needed by a patient at any given time, thereby making it possible for patients to have easy access to their medical record. It also sound an alarm for any patient that owes the hospital more than the amount specified by the management as the maximum debt the patient is allowed to owe. This will go along way in providing the financial state of the hospital.
1.3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The aims and objectives of the computerize system cannot be over emphasized. The use of computer system has several advantages over the use of manual systems especially as it regards keeping records of data and information, manipulating and processing them, storing them dot future use retrieving them and generating reports from them in as many copies as is desired by the user.
The computerized system is aimed at aiding the hospital in creating files for patients into two categories namely private and company patients so that for consideration will be given according to ones category.
The new system will definitely increase the speed of operations within the hospital thus increasing the efficiency and reliability of the hospital record keeping system. This will in turn help in improving the services provided for the patients who an satisfaction will like to boost the corporate image of the hospital.
The new computerized system is design for tracking information on patient record. Due to the fact that the laboratory technician and doctors are sometimes confused with symptoms and parasites observed and information received concerning test of patients there is a need to develop a computer software with which the medical doctor can rely upon and perform his job correctly thereby administering the right treatments.
The new system is also design to develop a computer software whereby the medical officer can get the information and data required as fast as possible and that are accurate and reliable information to enhance the task of attending to patients promptly.
1.4 LIMITATION
In the course of my research, I encountered many problems. This started with the collection of data from the hospital. The ravened sister in-charge of patients tracking information system could not allow me to gain access with the patient files. The reverend sister was afraid of answering any question, despite the fact that I explained to her the purpose of my research work. I was directed to the medical director, on seeing him, I was interviewed and I also told him my purpose of visiting the hospital. The medical director, directed me to another department where he felt, I can get enough information’s on patients information tracking system, although been operated manually. On reaching to the department I was directed by the medical director the head of that department refused to answer my question. Only to give me a come, on the agreed day he disappointed at me. The next person to them cannot be able to give the necessary information I needed.
1.5 DELIMITATION
The definition concerning this project work through patient’s information tracking, system including the information of patient medical diagnosis, drug prescriptions of patients and billing system of the patients. It also deals with the registration of companies and patients of the hospital by collecting personal data. The system also covers the areas of report generation by giving full details of information on all patients, companies and debtors to the hospital.
1.6 ASSUMPTIONS
For the desired objectives to be achieved it is taken for granted. There would be constant supple of information for easy operation and also the workers should go in for training so as to take appropriate care of the system. The assumptions, which take care of the new system, are:
(1) All companies using hospital for their staff are duly registered by the hospital.
(2) Bill incurred by company patients are paid by the company and not the individual company staff.
(3) For family patients it is only the personal data of the person who facts the bills that is on record, though multiple access is permitted.
1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Computer: A computer system is an electronic device with certain physical and logical attributes which enable it to accept input (instruction and data); process such input under the control of infernally stored programme (system program) in order to reduce solution to a given problem according to the nature of the input.
Program: A set of instructions that are written in a language the computer understands.
Hospital: An organization which provides medical services to people with main aim of treating their ailments etc.
Patient: A person who comes to receive treatment in a hospital.
Card Number: This is a unique code by which each patient in a hospital is identified.
Hospital Folder: A file containing a patient medical records, treatment and bills.
Bill: This is an amount which patient owes after treatment has been received or administered.
Record: A group of related fields of information treatment as a unit by an application.
Data: Raw facts that are to be processed into information.
Information: This is data, which has been processed to make it usefully and meaningfully to the recipient’s system flow chart. The diagrammatic representation using symbols of the logically flow of documents around the computer and the processing performed by the computer.
Program flowchart: The diagrammatic representation of logical relationship between successive steps in a computer program with the aid of standardized symbols.
File: The normal method of storage of data or programs with a name and other information in the computer with the file name.
Output: An information signed going out of a computer aspect of a system.
Diagnose: Determine the nature of a disease from observation of symptoms.
X-Ray: A form of short-wave ray that penetrate solid and makes it possible to see into or through them, photography taken by the means have an x-ray.
Casualty: Patients that are on emergency bases.
Consultant Room: The doctor’s room where he or she sees patients for observation recording.
Out-patient: Person who goes to a hospital for treatment but does not admitted.
In-patient: Person who is admitted in the hospital.
Index: It is the number give to folder in the shelves, which are alphabetically arranged.