The result of development of Tracking program on the quality of inpatient medical records tracing in Phrae Hospital
Abstract
Background: The completeness and timeliness of medical records are the important key for patient care. Documentation of medical Records which use in management planning, academic education and healthcare reimbursement must be complete rapidly to improve the quality of patient care. Management planning and healthcare reimbursement require the medical record documents within 30 days after the patient discharge.
Objective: To study the result of Tracking program to reduce the duration of patient medical records tracing in Phrae Hospital.
Study Design: Interrupted time design. The sample was inpatient medical records at Phrae
Hospital, before using the Tracking program 1053 files and the used Tracking program group 1053 files. Compare the difference of average duration of inpatient medical records tracing after discharge, and compare the proportion of timeliness at 15 days and 20 days after discharge. Data were analyzed by using t-test, exact probability test, gaussian regression and logistic regression.
Results: The used Tracking program group had a shorter duration of inpatient medicalrecords tracing average 2.25 days with statistically significant (95% CI -2.66 - 1.84, p <0.001). The timeliness at 15 days is 2.55 times (95% CI 2.13-3.05, p <0.001), at 20 days is 3.43 times of the group that did not use the Tracking program (95% CI 2.41-4.87, p <0.001).
Conclusions: The Tracking program improve the quality of inpatient medical records tracing. It reduce the average duration of medical record tracing from discharge to the disease/ procedure record in the HOSxP program, and increase the timeliness at 15 days and 20 days. This advantage of being able to use the information to take care of patients, management planning and academic education timely. Documentation of medical records charge medical fees within 30 days after discharge. Hospital receives the full amount of healthcare reimbursement, and no deductions if delayed data.
Keywords: Tracking program, inpatient medical records, duration of medical records tracing, quality of medical record tracing
