Authors : Kabba Haroun Bangura; Edward Yomba

Volume/Issue : Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 9 - September

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/vrhdfnnu

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/y3f4f3sz

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25sep699

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Note : Google Scholar may take 30 to 40 days to display the article.

Abstract : The Ebola outbreak (2014–2016) and the COVID-19 pandemic exposed serious deficiencies in Sierra Leone’s healthcare sector, particularly in the use of information technology for patient data management. Most hospitals still rely on manual systems, leaving records vulnerable to damage or loss. This study investigates how Health Information Technology (HIT) influences efficiency and quality of care delivery at Connaught Hospital in Freetown. The research explores the state of patient record management, the role of policies in promoting HIT, and the impact of medical technologies on service delivery. Data was collected from 50 participants, including doctors, nurses, community health officers, and patients, through interviews and questionnaires. The findings highlight the urgent need for digital health systems to improve patient safety, reduce medical errors, and strengthen healthcare delivery in Sierra Leone.

Keywords : Internet, Patients, Records, Ebola, Service Delivery, Connaught Hospital.

References :

1. Adesina, A. O., Agbele, K. K., Februarie, R., Abidoye, A. P., & Nyongesa, H. O. (2011). Ensuring the Security and Privacy of Information in Mobile Healthcare Communication Systems. South African Journal of Science, 107(9/10), 26-32.
2.     Avancha, S., Baxi, A., & Kotz, D. (2012). Privacy in Mobile Technology for Personal Healthcare. ACM Computing Surveys, 45(1), 3:1-3:54. doi:10.1145/2379776.2379779.
3. Binyam K Seblega, ’The effect of health information technology adoption on quality of care and patient safety in U.S acute care hospitals’, (2010).
4. Blumenthal, D. (2009). Stimulating the Adoption of Health Information Technology.
5. Borzekowski, R., (2009). Measuring the cost impact of hospital information systems: 1987–1994.  Journal of Health Economics.
6. Bower, A. (2005). The Diffusion and Value of Health Care Information Technology.
7. Dr. Simon Wallace. “Patient Safety and the Role of Information Technology”, Open Clinical Knowledge Management for Medical Care, (2008).
8. Dr. Vijaya Pithadia and Dr. Vandana Parmar, “Renovation in Healthcare and Information Technology”, Faculty column, indianmba.com, (2009).
9.  Free, C., Phillips, G., Watson, L., Galli, L., Felix, L., Edwards, P., & … Haines, A. (2013). The Effectiveness of Mobile-Health Technologies to Improve Healthcare Service Delivery Processes:  Journal of a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Plos Medicine, 10(1), 1-26.
10. Girosi F, Meili R, and Scoville R.- Extrapolating Evidence of Health Information Technology Savings and Costs, RAND Corporation, MG-410-HLTH, (2005).
11.  Heron, K.E., & Smyth, J.M. (2010). Ecological Momentary Interventions: Incorporating Mobile Technology into Psychosocial and Health Behavior Treatments. British Journal of Health Psychology, 15(1), 1-39. doi:10.1348/135910709X466063
12.  HHS.Gov “Health Information Technology” https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/special-topics/health-information-technology/index.html
13.  Hillestad R, Bigelow J, Bower A, Girosi F, Meili R, Scoville R, and Taylor R, “Can Electronic Medical Record Systems Transform Health Care?”, An Assessment of Potential Health Benefits, Savings, and Costs, Health Affairs, Vol. 24, (5), (2005).
14.  J. G. Proakis and D. G. Manolakis – Digital Signal Processing – Principles, Algorithms and Applications; Third Edition; Prentice Hall of India, (2003).
15.  James B. Rebitizer, Mari Rege, Christopher Shepard, Influence, Information, “Overload and Information Technology in Healthcare”, National Bureau of Economic Research, NBER Working Paper Series, (2002).
16.  K. C. Lun, “The Role of Information Technology in Healthcare Cost Containment”, Singapore Med J, Vol. 36, (1995).
17.  Komnakos, D., Vouyioukas, D., Maglogiannis, I., & Constantinou, P. (2008). Performance Evaluation of an Enhanced Uplink 3.5G System for Mobile Healthcare Applications. International Journal of Telemedicine & Applications, 1-11.
18.  Lee, Ellen (2013). “Ways Technology Is Transforming Health Care." Forbes, Jan. Web. 8 Sept. (2014).
19.     Madhuri Shriniwas, “IT Initiatives in the Indian Services Sector”, International Journal of Information Technology and Knowledge Management, July- December Volume 1, No.2, (2008).
20.     McBride, Michael. "Ranking Top 10 Hospital EMR Vendors by Number of Installed Systems." Dark Daily, March (2011). Web. 08 Sept. (2014).
21.  Mike Klein (2006).” Will Technology improve Healthcare Delivery?”, WTN News, Publications congressional_reports_june04_ch07, May (2006).
22.  Murray, James (2011). "Cloud Network Architecture and ICT - Modern Network Architecture". ITKnowledgeExchange. TechTarget. Retrieved 2013-08-18.
23.  RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA. Burns, L., Wholey, D. (1992). The Impact of Physician Characteristics in Conditional Choice Models for Hospital Care.
24.  Stephen T. Parente and Jeffrey S. McCullough, “Health Information Technology and Patient Safety Evidence from Panel Data Health Affairs”, The Policy Journal of the Health Care, Vol 28, No. 2, (2009).