An investigation to identify ways in which primary care records can be used more effectively as a source of data on the Harare urban health centres

ABSTRACT

Nursing records in the Harare City primary health care centres are not effective as a source of data for continuity of nursing care in that; information on client management is only recorded on the card which the client takes home. The nurses therefore; remain with no information on how the client was managed. The study was undertaken to identify ways in which client records kept at the health centre could be made more effective as a source of data. The study findings indicated that 48;4pc of the newly employed nurses in the Harare City health centres were not receiving formal orientation on records management. The major findings of the study were that there was no format in the heath centres on which the nurses could base their history taking by neglecting the psycho-social aspects of the client and absence of recording clients' management in the health centres which inhibited continuity of care. The recommendations from the study suggest that there should be a duplicate card at the health centre for each client; which is updated on each visit; that the client's heatlh record card should be structured to include family history; psycho-social data; clients managements and recommended follow up care