By Atlantic Reports

The Borno State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (BOSCHMA) has urged hospitals to extend electronic patient records to wards, laboratories, pharmacies, theatres and specialist units, saying limited use of the system is restricting its benefits.

The agency also raised concerns about incomplete reimbursement claims and service delivery problems, including shortages of essential medicines, inadequate equipment and staff absenteeism in some facilities.

BOSCHMA Executive Secretary, Dr Saleh Kaza, spoke at the agency’s third-quarter performance review meeting with Social Health Fund stakeholders in Maiduguri on Saturday.

He said wider use of Electronic Health Records (EHR) would improve access to patients’ medical histories, reduce repeated documentation and help address delays associated with missing folders.

Electronic system remains underused

Kaza said implementation remained largely confined to BOSCHMA clinics in several facilities, leaving the system’s full potential unrealised.

He urged hospital managements to make electronic records available across service points so that doctors, nurses and other authorised personnel could update patient information as care progressed.

According to him, the system was designed to be user-friendly and accessible through computers and smartphones.

For patients moving between hospital departments, the proposed expansion is intended to make their records more readily available and reduce the need to document the same information repeatedly.

However, the meeting account did not specify how many facilities had extended the system beyond BOSCHMA clinics or provide a timetable for wider implementation.

Incomplete claims could delay reimbursement

Kaza identified gaps in electronic claims submissions, saying some providers failed to indicate whether patients received inpatient or outpatient care.

Other claims lacked diagnosis details, despite the availability of the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision (ICD-11), within the system to support diagnosis recording.

He warned that incomplete documentation could affect claims processing and reimbursement to healthcare facilities.

Medical directors and hospital managers, he said, should ensure staff received adequate training and updated electronic records consistently.

Review highlights gaps in frontline care

BOSCHMA’s Director of Service Quality Assurance, Dr Inna Alimi, identified inadequate medical equipment, shortages of essential drugs, staff absenteeism and early clinic closures as challenges affecting some facilities.

She called for stronger supervision, staff orientation, timely claims submissions and compliance with approved healthcare service packages.

Alimi also acknowledged improvements in electronic drug dispensing and patient satisfaction at some facilities, while urging others to address operational weaknesses.

The meeting reviewed facility performance and considered recommendations for improving access to care for formal-sector enrollees and vulnerable groups.

BOSCHMA presented awards and certificates to staff and facilities recognised for their performance and contributions to healthcare delivery.

Alongside wider adoption of electronic records, the review highlighted the need for reliable staffing, medicines and equipment to improve patients’ experience of care.

Atlantic Reports: Voices. People. Facts.