AN ONLINE PATIENTS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (A CASE STUDY OF MAKERERE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL)
ABSTRACT
Currently at Makerere University Hospital there is a manual file system used to manage information about the patient and because of this, record’smanager take long to access patient’s information. This causes a delay in the processing of patients information in order for the patient to be recommended to the available doctor. This study intends to design an online patients’ management system to solve the problem of delayed access to patients’ information.
In an effort to get all the required information, observations were made, interviews conducted so as to get a clear understanding of the requirements. Interviews revealed that a number of problems were associated with the manual system used.
All this information was then used in the analysis and design of the new system. Models like Data Flow Diagrams to illustrate the flow of data in the new system were developed during the analysis stage. Entity Relationship Diagrams were also used to model the data within the system and itsrelationship .The interface of the database designs were realized during the design stage.
The system was then developed using technologies like HTML,PHP,CSS, MySQL database server Dream Weaver as a developing environment. It was then tested and validated.
In conclusion A solution to the problem was implemented and this was an online patients’ management system which would manage records, student registration, stores patient’s information, doctor and eases access of information by the records manager. Therefore this system is ready and recommended for Makerere university hospital to use it.
Table of Contents
DECLARATION i
Approval ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgment iv
Table of Contents v
List of Figures vi
List of Tables vii
List of Acronyms viii
Abstract ix
CHAPTER ONE: Introduction 1
1.0 Introduction 1
1.1 Background to the problem 1
1.2 Problem Statement 1
1.3 Objectives 1
1.3.1 Main Objective 1
1.3.2 Specific Objectives 2
1.4 Scope 2
1.5 Significance 3
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 4
2.0 Management Systems 4
2.1 Database…………………………………………………………………………………………………….4
2.2 Records Management Systems 5
2.3 Case Studies (Related Systems) 5
2.3.1 Case Study 1 5
2.3.2 Case Study 2 6
2.3.3 Case Study 3 6
2.3.4 Strength and weaknesses exhibited by the case studies…………………………………………..…7
2.4 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………….7
CHAPTER THREE:METHODOLOGY 8
3.0 Introduction 8
3.1 Study Population 8
3.1.1 Sampling 8
3.1.2 Sampling Technique 9
3.2 Data Collection Techniques 9
3.2.1 Document Review 9
3.2.2 Questionnaires 9
3.2.3. Interviews 9
3.3 Data Analysis 10
3.4.Data Processing 10
3.5 System Design 10
3.6 Systems Implementation 10
3.7 System Testing and Validation 10
3.7.1Testing 10
3.7.2Validation 11
CHAPTER FOUR:SYSTEM STUDY ANALYSIS AND DESIGN 12
4.1 System Study 12
4.1.1 Existing System 12
4.1.2 The new system ( on line Patients Management system) 12
4.2 System Analysis 13
4.2.1 User Requirements 13
4.2.2Functional Requirements 14
4.2.4 System Requirements 15
4.2.5 Software Quality Attributes 15
4.3 System design 16
4.3.1Architectural overview of the patient’s management system 16
4.3.2 Process Modeling 18
4.3.3 DFDs for the system 18
4.4 Data modelling 23
4.4.1 Conceptual Data Model 23
4.4.2 Modeling relationships between entities 24
4.5 Database design 28
4.5.1 Conceptual design 28
4.5.2 Logical design 28
4.5.3 Physical design 30
CHAPTER FIVE:PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS AND SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION 36
5.0 Presentation of Findings. 36
5.1 Introduction. 36
5.2 Research Findings. 36
5.3 system implementation 40
5.3.1 Sample screenshots from the system 40
5.4 Testing and validation 48
CHAPTER SIX:CHALLENGES,CONCLUSION AND RECCOMMENDATION 52
6.0 Challenges Encountered during the Research project 52
6.1 Conclusion and Recommendations 52
6.1.1 Conclusion 52
6.1.2 Recommendation 53
References 54
Appendices 55
Appendix A: Sample Questionnaires 55
Appendix B: System Usability Questionnaire 57
Appendix C:Interview Guide…………………………………………………………………………………60
Appendix D: Pseudo code……………………………………………………………………………………61
List of Figures
Figure4. 1: level diagram/context diagram. 16
Figure 4. 2: level 1 DFD for patients management system 19
Figure 4. 3: System architecture 22
Figure 4. 4:Modeling relationship between entities. 27
Figure 4. 5 : The trends of files at MUH for the year 2012 37
Figure 5 . 6: People’s satisfaction about the existing system. 38
Figure 5. 7: The percentage of people’s views about the Patient Management system 39
Figure 5. 8 : Home page. 40
Figure 5. 9 : Students registration form. 41
Figure 5.10 : Registered students interface. 42
Figure 5. 11: The records Manager interface 43
Figure 5.12 : The medical personnel interface. 44
Figure 5.13: Health records of a recommended patient. 45
Figure 5.14:Medical personnel’s prescription interface to recommended patient. 46
Figure 5.15: Patient medical report. 47
Figure 5. 16:People’s views about the system's Effectiveness in Task Accomplishment. 49
Figure 5. 17 :The usefulness of system Aids and help Manual . 50
Figure 5. 18 :The views of people in MUH about the Overall Usability analysis. 51
List of Tables
Table4. 1: A Description of Hardware Requirements 16
Table 4.2: A Description of software requirements 16
Table4. 3: A description of DFD key elements and symbols 21
Table4. 5:A data dictionary for data stores 23
Table4. 7: Entities and their attributes. 24
Table 4.8: Description of entity Doctor 30
Table4. 9: stores information of drugs prescribed 31
Table 4.10:A description of entity student 32
Table4. 11:: Description of entity for records manager. 33
Table4. 12:Other patients 34
Table 5. 13: people’s view about the system's Effectiveness in Task Accomplishment 48
List of Appendices
Appendix A: Sample questionnaire………………………………………………………….............55
Appendix B: system Usability Questionnaire……………………………………………….............57
Appendix c: Interview Guide……………………………………………….....................................60
Appendix D: Pseudo code…………………………………………………………………………...61
List of Acronyms
CPU - Central Processing Unit
DB - Database
DBMS - Database Management System
DFD - Data Flow Diagrams
DNS - Domain Name Server
ECG - Electro-cardiograph
ERD - Entity Relational Diagram
GB - Giga Byte
IIS - Internet Information Service
M.P - Medical personnel
M.S - Management System
MUH - Makerere University hospital
MySQL - My Structured Query Languages
RAM - Random Access Memory
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.0 Introduction
According to Ramkrishnan,R and Gehrke,J (2003) An online based Patient management system is a system used by records managers to manage their patients and cases.
1.1 Background to the problem
The access of patient’s information has been too slow and tiresome due to the large number of students who come for medication and others who come to register in the hospital for the first time as students of Makerere University.
The University hospital is using a file system to keep records for all the patients registered, were by only one record’s personnel is responsible for verifying and accessing all the patients records before being recommended to the medical personnel. The process is too slow and this causes a delay in offering services to both registered and none registered. Therefore there is a need for a computerized patient’s management system that will ease student’s registration, ease access to information by the record’s personnel hence reducing student and patient congestion at the University hospital
1.2Problem Statement
Currently at the hospital there is a manual file system used to manage information about the patient and because of this records’personnel take long to access patient’s information. This causes a delay in the processing of patients information in order for the patient to be recommended to the medical personnel. As a result many patients are not attended to, hence the need of a computerized patients management system at the hospital that will display patients information immediately.
This study therefore, intends to design a web based patient management system to solve the problem of delayed access to patients’ information.
1.3 Objectives
1.3.1 Main objective
To develop a computerized on line patients’ management system for Makerere University hospital.
1.3.2 Specific objectives
1. To collect data about the current system in order to identify requirements for patients management system
2. To design an effective the patient’s management system for Makerere University hospital based on the requirements collected.
3. To implement the patient’s management system for Makerere University hospital.
4. To test and validate the patient’s management system
1.4Scope
This project focused on the development of patient’s management system for Makerere University hospital with the sole purpose of assisting the record’s personnel to ease information access to the patients hence reducing on the patient queue when they come for medication .The people contacted were the students, patients, medical personnel, and the director of the hospital. Only medical records and student’s information were considered and these included:
i. Patient personal information
ii. Laboratory examinations
iii. Prescriptions and Treatment
iv. Follow up of the patient
Thus making information available to the records’ manager in the hospital with the purpose of promoting efficiency, quality and safety of patient records.
1.5 Significance
The effectiveness of management system for Makerere University hospital improves the access and maintenance of patient’s records,
Secondly providing the status of the patients in the short time possible whether registered or not registered and the recommended medical personnel.
It will reduce on the time wasted due to the queues made during the traditional file systemof patient- doctor recommendation. This will reduce on the patient waiting for long period of time
Management systems such as the patient’s management system for Makerere University hospitalwill provideprocesses such as patient’s registration, retrieving of patient information doctor’s attendance and records management. It will also improve communication by offering an intellectual management base for medical personnel which ease the of patient’s information access
Medical Report generation with related data stored in the system.
Improved security, as regards to access to information stored on the system.
Reduced maintenance costs.
.